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Convert ET to UTC

Eastern Time (ET) to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

Developers, DevOps engineers, and SREs on the US East Coast frequently convert to UTC for log timestamps, cron schedules, API rate-limit windows, and database records. Unlike UK time, UTC never observes daylight saving time, which makes the offset shift predictable but easy to forget.

When it's 12:00 PM in New York, it's 4:00 PM UTC

On Jan 1 – Mar 7, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 13, 2027; Nov 7 – Dec 31, 2027: 5:00 PM UTC.

ET UTC-5 / UTC-4 UTC UTC±0 +4/+5h

Interactive Converter

Pick any time and date to convert between ET and UTC.

ET to UTC Conversion Table

Full 24-hour comparison. Business hours (9 AM -- 6 PM) are highlighted.

New York (ET) UTC (UTC)
12:00 AM 4:00 AM
1:00 AM 5:00 AM
2:00 AM 6:00 AM
3:00 AM 7:00 AM
4:00 AM 8:00 AM
5:00 AM 9:00 AM
6:00 AM 10:00 AM
7:00 AM 11:00 AM
8:00 AM 12:00 PM
9:00 AM 1:00 PM
10:00 AM 2:00 PM
11:00 AM 3:00 PM
12:00 PM 4:00 PM
1:00 PM 5:00 PM
2:00 PM 6:00 PM
3:00 PM 7:00 PM
4:00 PM 8:00 PM
5:00 PM 9:00 PM
6:00 PM 10:00 PM
7:00 PM 11:00 PM
8:00 PM 12:00 AM +1 day
9:00 PM 1:00 AM +1 day
10:00 PM 2:00 AM +1 day
11:00 PM 3:00 AM +1 day

These times apply on all dates in 2026–2027 except:

  • Jan 1 – Mar 7, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 13, 2027; Nov 7 – Dec 31, 2027: UTC times are 1 hour later.

Best Meeting Window

Top meeting times for teams in ET and UTC (9 AM -- 6 PM work hours, 1-hour meeting).

12a
3a
6a
9a
12p
3p
6p
9p
New York
UTC
Overlap
Everyone available
Most available
Some overlap
Outside work hours
1 11:00 AM -- 12:00 PM in New York
New York: 11:00 AM UTC: 3:00 PM

All members within working hours. Everyone in mid-day range.

8.6 / 10
2 12:00 PM -- 1:00 PM in New York
New York: 12:00 PM UTC: 4:00 PM

All members within working hours. Everyone in mid-day range.

8.6 / 10
3 10:00 AM -- 11:00 AM in New York
New York: 10:00 AM UTC: 2:00 PM

All members within working hours. Everyone in mid-day range.

8.4 / 10

These times apply on all dates in 2026–2027 except:

  • Jan 1 – Mar 7, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 13, 2027; Nov 7 – Dec 31, 2027: UTC times are 1 hour later.

Try the Meeting Planner with custom work hours →

Scheduling Tips

  • Remember the seasonal shift: EST is UTC-5 (November-March), EDT is UTC-4 (March-November). Set a calendar reminder for both transition dates.
  • For cron jobs and scheduled tasks, always specify UTC explicitly. A '9 AM EST' cron job is 14:00 UTC in winter but 13:00 UTC in summer unless you account for DST.
  • When logging incidents or coordinating across global teams, default to UTC timestamps. Convert to local time only for user-facing displays.

Time Difference & DST

The ET to UTC gap is +4h or +5h, depending on daylight saving time. The table lists each period.

Dates New YorkUTC Difference
Jan 1 – Mar 7, 2026 UTC-5UTC±0 +5h
Mar 8 – Oct 31, 2026 UTC-4UTC±0 +4h
Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 13, 2027 UTC-5UTC±0 +5h
Mar 14 – Nov 6, 2027 UTC-4UTC±0 +4h
Nov 7 – Dec 31, 2027 UTC-5UTC±0 +5h

UTC does not use daylight saving time.

Use the interactive converter for a specific date.

Major Cities

Eastern Time (ET)

  • New York
  • Miami
  • Atlanta

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

  • UTC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time difference between EST and UTC?
EST (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC-5, meaning UTC is 5 hours ahead of EST. When it is 9:00 AM EST, it is 2:00 PM UTC. During daylight saving (EDT, UTC-4), UTC is only 4 hours ahead.
Does UTC ever change for daylight saving time?
No. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is a fixed reference that never changes. When the US East Coast moves to EDT in March, the offset to UTC shifts from 5 hours to 4 hours. UTC itself stays the same.
What is the difference between UTC and GMT?
UTC and GMT both have an offset of +0, and neither changes for daylight saving time. UTC is the time standard; GMT is the time zone name. UK clocks use GMT only in winter and switch to BST (UTC+1) in summer, so London time is not always GMT. EST to UTC is 5 hours, or 4 hours during EDT. See Time Zone Basics for a deeper explanation of how UTC and GMT differ.
What is 9 AM EST in UTC?
9:00 AM EST is 2:00 PM UTC (14:00). During EDT (March-November), 9:00 AM EDT is 1:00 PM UTC (13:00).
What is 12 PM EST in UTC?
12:00 PM (noon) EST is 5:00 PM UTC (17:00). During EDT, noon EDT is 4:00 PM UTC (16:00).
What is midnight UTC in EST?
Midnight UTC (00:00) is 7:00 PM EST (19:00) the previous day. During EDT, midnight UTC is 8:00 PM EDT (20:00) the previous day. This matters for daily cron jobs and rate-limit resets.
Why do developers use UTC instead of local time?
UTC provides a single, unambiguous reference across all servers, logs, and databases regardless of where they are hosted. It eliminates DST confusion, simplifies sorting timestamps, and prevents bugs from time zone mismatches between services.
When does the EST-UTC offset change?
The offset changes twice a year on the US DST boundaries. In March (second Sunday), EST shifts to EDT and the offset moves from -5 to -4. In November (first Sunday), it reverts from EDT to EST and the offset returns to -5. UTC never changes.

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