Eastern Time now
ET UTC−5 · IANA zone America/New_York
What is Eastern Time?
Eastern Time (ET) is the easternmost and most populous US time zone — roughly 47% of Americans live in it. It runs on Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC−5) from November to March and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC−4) the rest of the year.
Because New York and Washington DC sit in this zone, ET is the default for US finance, government, and national broadcasting: markets open at 9:30 AM ET and prime-time TV is listed "8/7c" — 8 ET, 7 Central. When a US time is quoted without a zone, it is usually ET.
| Zone | Difference | Time there now |
|---|---|---|
| Central | 1 h behind | — |
| Mountain | 2 h behind | — |
| Pacific | 3 h behind | — |
| Alaska | 4 h behind | — |
| Hawaii | 5–6 h behind | — |
States on Eastern Time
Fully in ET: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC.
Split states with an Eastern portion: Florida (all but the western Panhandle), Indiana (most counties), Kentucky (east), Michigan (all but four western UP counties), and Tennessee (east, including Knoxville).
Major ET cities
Frequently asked questions
Is it EST or EDT right now?
The live status is shown under the clock above. EST (UTC−5) applies from the first Sunday of November to the second Sunday of March; EDT (UTC−4) the rest of the year. "ET" covers both.
What does "8/7c" mean?
8:00 PM Eastern, 7:00 PM Central — the standard way US networks list one broadcast time for both zones.
Is Eastern Time the same as New York time?
Yes. New York keeps ET year-round, so "New York time" and Eastern Time are interchangeable.