Convert UTC to EST
EST = UTC −5 h
EST is 5 hours behind UTC. EST is always UTC−5, so this gap is the same on every date.
UTC · Coordinated Universal Time · UTC+0
11:04AM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
EST · Eastern Standard Time · UTC−5
6:04AM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
New York is on EST (UTC−5) right now.
- Next clock change: March 14, 2027. New York moves to EDT (UTC−4), so New York is then 4 hours behind UTC.
- Next clock change: November 7, 2027. New York moves to EST (UTC−5), so New York is then 5 hours behind UTC.
UTC to EST for every hour
Each EST column holds for part of the year (dates in the header for 2027). The first uses the fixed offset (EST UTC−5); the others give local clock time when daylight saving time changes the gap. Until 5:00 AM UTC, EST is still on the previous calendar day. The dot marks the current UTC hour.
| UTC | EST −5 hfixed offsets | EST −4 hMar 14 – Nov 7 | 24-hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 7:00 PM −1 day | 8:00 PM −1 day | 00:00 → 19:00 |
| 1:00 AM | 8:00 PM −1 day | 9:00 PM −1 day | 01:00 → 20:00 |
| 2:00 AM | 9:00 PM −1 day | 10:00 PM −1 day | 02:00 → 21:00 |
| 3:00 AM | 10:00 PM −1 day | 11:00 PM −1 day | 03:00 → 22:00 |
| 4:00 AM | 11:00 PM −1 day | 12:00 AM | 04:00 → 23:00 |
| 5:00 AM | 12:00 AM | 1:00 AM | 05:00 → 00:00 |
| 6:00 AM | 1:00 AM | 2:00 AM | 06:00 → 01:00 |
| 7:00 AM | 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM | 07:00 → 02:00 |
| 8:00 AM | 3:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 08:00 → 03:00 |
| 9:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 09:00 → 04:00 |
| 10:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 10:00 → 05:00 |
| 11:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 11:00 → 06:00 |
| 12:00 PM | 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 12:00 → 07:00 |
| 1:00 PM | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 13:00 → 08:00 |
| 2:00 PM | 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 14:00 → 09:00 |
| 3:00 PM | 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 15:00 → 10:00 |
| 4:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 16:00 → 11:00 |
| 5:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 17:00 → 12:00 |
| 6:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 18:00 → 13:00 |
| 7:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 19:00 → 14:00 |
| 8:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 20:00 → 15:00 |
| 9:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 21:00 → 16:00 |
| 10:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 22:00 → 17:00 |
| 11:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 23:00 → 18:00 |
The UTC times people look up most
| UTC | EST −5 h | EST −4 h |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 3:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| 8:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 11:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 11:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 2:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 7:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
Does the difference change during the year?
As written, no: EST is always UTC−5, so the gap is 5 hours on every date. But New York uses EST only in winter, and people often keep writing “EST” when they mean the local time. Between UTC and the local clock in New York, the gap is 5 hours or 4 hours:
| From | What changes | UTC | New York | EST vs UTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | UTC (UTC+0) | EST (UTC−5) | −5 h |
| March 8 | New York moves to EDT (UTC−4) | UTC (UTC+0) | EDT (UTC−4) | −4 h |
| November 1 | New York moves to EST (UTC−5) | UTC (UTC+0) | EST (UTC−5) | −5 h |
| From | What changes | UTC | New York | EST vs UTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | UTC (UTC+0) | EST (UTC−5) | −5 h |
| March 14 | New York moves to EDT (UTC−4) | UTC (UTC+0) | EDT (UTC−4) | −4 h |
| November 7 | New York moves to EST (UTC−5) | UTC (UTC+0) | EST (UTC−5) | −5 h |
Converting UTC to EST by hand
With the fixed offsets, take away 5 hours: 3:30 PM UTC is 10:30 AM EST.
With the −4 h gap (Mar 14 – Nov 7), take away 4 hours: 3:30 PM UTC is 11:30 AM EST.
Going back from EST to UTC, do the opposite: the EST to UTC page has its own table.
Reading a UTC timestamp as EST time
Logs, APIs and flight plans usually carry UTC. A timestamp ending in Z is UTC, and one ending in an offset already says how far from UTC it is. These two name the same moment:
2027-01-15T20:00:00Z2027-01-15T15:00:00-05:00
The offset in the second form is the one in force on that date (January 15, 2027). A program should store the UTC form and apply the right offset when it displays the time, rather than storing a local time and hoping the offset is still the same.
What UTC and EST mean
Coordinated Universal Time
UTC is the world’s reference time. It has no daylight saving time and no seasons: every UTC offset you see (UTC−5, UTC+5:30) is measured from it.
Eastern Standard Time
EST is UTC−5. The US East Coast and eastern Canada (New York, Washington, Miami, Toronto, Montreal) use it only in winter; from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November they are on EDT, UTC−4. Jamaica, Panama and Cancún keep it all year, and since 2026 so does Manitoba (Winnipeg).