What is the time difference between PST and EST?
Eastern Time is 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time. When it is 9:00 am in Los Angeles (PST), it is 12:00 noon in New York (EST). The difference stays 3 hours all year, because both time zones switch to daylight saving time on the same dates. Convert any time with the time zone converter.
PST, PDT, EST and EDT
| Abbreviation | Name | UTC offset | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| PST | Pacific Standard Time | UTC−8 | winter |
| PDT | Pacific Daylight Time | UTC−7 | summer |
| EST | Eastern Standard Time | UTC−5 | winter |
| EDT | Eastern Daylight Time | UTC−4 | summer |
Strictly speaking, PST and EST only apply in winter. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, the West Coast is on PDT and the East Coast on EDT. Many people say "PST" and "EST" all year; the 3-hour difference is the same either way. If you want to be unambiguous, write PT and ET.
In 2026, daylight saving time runs from 8 March to 1 November. Each zone changes at 2:00 am local time, so only during the few hours of the changeover night itself is the gap briefly different.
Conversion table
| Pacific (PT) | Eastern (ET) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 am | 9:00 am |
| 9:00 am | 12:00 noon |
| 12:00 noon | 3:00 pm |
| 2:00 pm | 5:00 pm |
| 5:00 pm | 8:00 pm |
| 9:00 pm | 12:00 midnight |
Going the other way, subtract 3 hours: 9:00 am ET is 6:00 am PT.
Scheduling across the country
The overlap of a 9-to-5 workday on both coasts is only five hours: from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm Eastern, which is 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Pacific. Meetings between coasts usually land between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm Pacific (2:00 to 5:00 pm Eastern), so nobody has to start very early or finish late.
A few practical rules:
- Put both time zones in meeting invitations: "1:00 pm ET / 10:00 am PT".
- TV and live events are often listed as "8/7c": 8 pm Eastern and Pacific (often tape-delayed on the West Coast) and 7 pm Central.
- The New York Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 am ET, which is 6:30 am PT.
The other US time zones
From west to east, each zone is one hour ahead of the previous one:
- Hawaii (HST, UTC−10): no daylight saving time
- Alaska (AKST/AKDT, UTC−9/−8)
- Pacific (PT): Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas
- Mountain (MT): Denver, Salt Lake City; most of Arizona does not use daylight saving time, so Phoenix matches Pacific time in summer and Mountain time in winter
- Central (CT): Chicago, Houston, Dallas
- Eastern (ET): New York, Washington, Atlanta, Miami
Flying coast to coast
A nonstop flight from Los Angeles to New York takes about 5 hours. Leave at 8:00 am PT and you land around 4:00 pm ET, because you lose 3 hours. Flying west, you gain them back: a 6-hour flight leaving New York at 6:00 pm ET lands at around 9:00 pm PT.
Frequently asked questions
Is EST 3 hours ahead of PST?
Yes. Eastern Time is always 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time.
If it's 5 pm EST, what time is it PST?
2 pm PST. Subtract 3 hours.
Does the time difference change with daylight saving time?
No. Both zones switch on the same dates (the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November), so the gap stays 3 hours.
What is the time difference between EST and the UK?
Usually 5 hours: London is ahead. For a few weeks in March and around late October it is 4 hours, because the UK and US change their clocks on different dates.