EST Time Now

The current Eastern Standard Time (EST) time is . Eastern Standard Time covers the US East Coast, eastern Canada and parts of the Caribbean. It is 5 hours behind UTC, and places that observe daylight saving switch to EDT (UTC-4) in summer.

Current time
UTC offset UTC-04:00
Abbreviation EDT
Daylight saving In force now
Next clock change November 1, 2026 — clocks go back 1 hour

Major cities in this zone

  • New York
  • Toronto
  • Miami
  • Atlanta
  • Boston
  • Washington, D.C.

Convert EST to other zones

Open the time zone converter with EST pre-selected, or see the world clock for live times everywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What time is it in EST right now?

The live clock above shows current Eastern Time to the second. From March to November, New York and most of the zone observe EDT (UTC-4) instead of EST (UTC-5).

What is the difference between EST and EDT?

EST is Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5), used in winter. EDT is Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4), used from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. The one-hour gap to Central time never changes.

When does New York switch to daylight saving time?

New York springs forward on the second Sunday of March and falls back on the first Sunday of November — March 8 and November 1 in 2026.

Is Toronto on EST?

Toronto follows the same Eastern Time rules as New York: EST (UTC-5) in winter, EDT (UTC-4) in summer.