EST to GMT
EST and GMT explained
Eastern Time uses EST (UTC−5) as standard time and EDT (UTC−4) during daylight saving time, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November; the clocks change at 2am local time. It covers the eastern US and Canada, including New York, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta and Toronto. People often say "EST" all year, but EST is strictly the winter name: during daylight saving time the eastern US is on EDT.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is UTC+0, the reference time at the Greenwich meridian. GMT itself never changes. The UK uses GMT only in winter: from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October it is on BST (UTC+1), so "GMT" and "UK time" are an hour apart in summer.
The difference across the year
GMT compared with ET:
- 4 hours ahead (EDT and GMT) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November
- 5 hours ahead (EST and GMT) from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March
ET changes its clocks and GMT doesn't, so the gap changes during the year. The converter above uses the rules for the date you pick.
Common times
| ET | GMT 4 hours ahead | GMT 5 hours ahead |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 12am | 04:00 4am | 05:00 5am |
| 06:00 6am | 10:00 10am | 11:00 11am |
| 08:00 8am | 12:00 12pm | 13:00 1pm |
| 09:00 9am | 13:00 1pm | 14:00 2pm |
| 12:00 12pm | 16:00 4pm | 17:00 5pm |
| 15:00 3pm | 19:00 7pm | 20:00 8pm |
| 17:00 5pm | 21:00 9pm | 22:00 10pm |
| 18:00 6pm | 22:00 10pm | 23:00 11pm |
| 21:00 9pm | 01:00 1am, next day | 02:00 2am, next day |
How to use the converter
Pick a time and date under From; the time in GMT appears under To, with your own local time underneath. The date matters around clock changes, so set it for the day you mean. ⇄ swaps the two zones, Now goes back to the current time, and either zone can be changed to any city. The planner below lines up the whole day in both places and in yours.
Handy for
- Telling an international audience when an event in New York starts
- Matching US timestamps against logs in GMT/UTC
- Planning calls with London (remember the UK uses BST in summer)
Questions
What is the time difference between EST and GMT?
GMT is 4 hours ahead of ET from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, and 5 hours ahead from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March.
Do ET and GMT change for daylight saving?
Eastern Time switches from EST (UTC−5) to EDT (UTC−4) on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November. GMT never changes: it is UTC+0 all year.
How do I convert EST to GMT?
Add 4 hours when it is EDT and GMT; add 5 hours when it is EST and GMT. Or use the converter above: it applies the rules for the exact date you pick.
More time zone pages
Or open the full Time Zones meeting planner and world clock.