EST Time Now — Eastern Standard Time
The current EST time (Eastern Standard Time, UTC -05:00) is shown below. EST is observed on the east coast of the United States and Canada.
EST — UTC -05:00
Thursday, 22 October 2026 EST
The clock always shows EST (UTC -05:00). Places in this zone switch between standard and daylight time during the year, so their local time can differ from EST by an hour.
Where EST is used
In 2026, 20 zones in the tz database show EST : 5 all year and 15 only part of the year, switching to EDT for the rest . The all-year zones are the ones that don't observe daylight saving: Mexico, Cayman Islands, Canada, Jamaica, Panama.
| Zone | Country | January | July |
|---|---|---|---|
| America/Cancun | Mexico | EST -05:00 | EST -05:00 |
| America/Cayman | Cayman Islands | EST -05:00 | EST -05:00 |
| America/Coral Harbour | Canada | EST -05:00 | EST -05:00 |
| America/Detroit | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Grand Turk | Turks & Caicos Islands | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Indiana/Marengo | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Indiana/Petersburg | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Indiana/Vevay | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Indiana/Vincennes | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Indiana/Winamac | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Indianapolis | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Iqaluit | Canada | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Jamaica | Jamaica | EST -05:00 | EST -05:00 |
| America/Kentucky/Monticello | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Louisville | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Nassau | Bahamas | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/New York | United States | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Panama | Panama | EST -05:00 | EST -05:00 |
| America/Port-au-Prince | Haiti | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
| America/Toronto | Canada | EST -05:00 | EDT -04:00 |
About EST
Offset & DST
UTC offset: -05:00
Daylight saving: Observed
Daylight-time counterpart: EDT (UTC -04:00)
Representative IANA zone: America/New_York
IANA zones at EST
Converting EST to other time zones
EST is fixed at UTC -05:00 — written -0500 in email headers and -05:00 in ISO 8601 timestamps. In 2026, New York is on EST until 8 March and from 1 November to the end of the year. The table below uses each abbreviation's own fixed offset; for a specific place, check its city page, since local clocks switch between standard and daylight abbreviations.
| Zone | Difference | When it's 12:00 EST | Converter |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC Coordinated Universal Time | +5 h | 17:00 | Hour by hour → |
| PST Pacific Standard Time | −3 h | 09:00 | Hour by hour → |
| MST Mountain Standard Time | −2 h | 10:00 | Hour by hour → |
| CST Central Standard Time | −1 h | 11:00 | Hour by hour → |
| BRT Brasília Time | +2 h | 14:00 | Hour by hour → |
| BST British Summer Time | +6 h | 18:00 | Hour by hour → |
| CET Central European Time | +6 h | 18:00 | Hour by hour → |
| EET Eastern European Time | +7 h | 19:00 | Hour by hour → |
| MSK Moscow Standard Time | +8 h | 20:00 | Hour by hour → |
| GST Gulf Standard Time | +9 h | 21:00 | Hour by hour → |
| IST India Standard Time | +10:30 h | 22:30 | Hour by hour → |
| CST China Standard Time | +13 h | 01:00 (+1 day) | Hour by hour → |
| JST Japan Standard Time | +14 h | 02:00 (+1 day) | Hour by hour → |
| AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time | +15 h | 03:00 (+1 day) | Hour by hour → |
EST can mean something else
Time zone abbreviations are not unique. Besides Eastern Standard Time, EST is also used for:
- Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10:00) — eastern Australia, where it is sometimes shortened to EST
When the difference matters — meeting invites, software, contracts — write the UTC offset (UTC -05:00) or an IANA zone name such as America/New_York instead.
Countries commonly using EST
Other zones at UTC -05:00
EST questions
- What is EST in UTC?
- EST (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC -05:00. In ISO 8601 timestamps it is written -05:00, in email and HTTP headers -0500.
- Is EST the same as EDT?
- No. EST is UTC -05:00; EDT is UTC -04:00, the daylight-saving time the same places use for the other part of the year. In 2026, New York is on EST until 8 March and from 1 November to the end of the year.
- Which countries use EST?
- In 2026, zones showing EST are found in Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Turks & Caicos Islands, United States.
- Does EST mean anything else?
- Yes. EST is also used for Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10:00). Use a UTC offset or an IANA zone name when it matters.
More tools for EST
Look up the exact IANA zone behind EST, see it on the offset map, or compare it against other cities.