Also known as: Eastern Time (ET) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Time zone map of EST
Currently observing EST – Eastern Standard Time.
Currently has same time zone offset as EST (UTC -5) but different time zone name.
Eastern Standard Time (EST) is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is in use during standard time in: North America, Caribbean, Central America.
See full time zone map
What Is Eastern Standard Time?
Eastern Standard Time (EST) is the easternmost time zone in the United States. It is also used in Canada.
It covers all or parts of 23 states in the US and three provinces or territories in Canada. It is also used in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.
Almost half of the population in the USA live in the EST time zone. It spans from northern Canada and south to Panama near the equator.
In North America, Eastern Standard Time shares a border with Atlantic Standard Time (AST) in the east and with Central Standard Time (CST) in the west.
Eastern Standard Time Zone
Eastern Standard Time (EST) is a standard time zone in use from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March—when Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not in effect. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is used during the remainder of the year.
EST Is the Eastern Time Zone
In everyday usage, EST is often referred to as Eastern Time (ET) or the Eastern Time Zone. This can add a bit of confusion as the term Eastern Time does not differentiate between standard time and Daylight Saving Time, so Eastern Time switches between EST and EDT in areas that use DST during part of the year.
Most North American time zones also have generic terms, including Pacific Time (PT), Mountain Time (MT), Central Time (CT), and Atlantic Time (AT).