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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 GMT, UTC never observes daylight saving time, which makes the offset shift predictable but easy to forget.

When it's 12:00 PM ET, it's 4:00 PM UTC

UTC-4 UTC±0 +4 hours

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.

ET 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

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
ET EDT
UTC UTC
Overlap
Everyone available
Most available
Some overlap
Outside work hours
1 11:00 AM -- 12:00 PM ET
ET: 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 ET
ET: 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 ET
ET: 10:00 AM UTC: 2:00 PM

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

8.4 / 10

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

UTC is 4 hours ahead of ET. ET is at UTC-4 and UTC is at UTC±0.

Upcoming DST Transitions:

ET Clocks fall back on November 2, 2026

The conversion table above reflects the current DST state at build time. Use the interactive converter for live, date-specific conversions.

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 represent an offset of +0, but they behave differently with daylight saving time. UTC is a fixed standard that never changes. GMT refers to the time zone used by the UK (Europe/London), which shifts to BST (UTC+1) in summer. EST to UTC is always exactly 5 hours (or 4 hours during EDT) — it never varies. EST to London time follows a different pattern: the gap narrows to 4 hours during transition windows when only one side has shifted. 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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