EST to PST conversion: complete guide to US time zone differences

Understanding EST, PST, and US time zones

The continental United States spans four main time zones, each separated by one hour. From east to west, they are Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. When someone says "EST to PST," they are asking about the conversion between the two endpoints — the East Coast and the West Coast.

Eastern Standard Time (EST) is UTC-5. It covers major cities like New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Boston. During daylight saving time, Eastern shifts to EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) at UTC-4.

Pacific Standard Time (PST) is UTC-8. It covers Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Las Vegas. During daylight saving time, it becomes PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) at UTC-7.

The difference between Eastern and Pacific is always 3 hours, regardless of the time of year — both zones shift their clocks on the same dates. When it is 3:00 PM in New York, it is 12:00 PM (noon) in Los Angeles. You can verify this anytime using the time zone converter.

Quick EST to PST conversion table

Here is a complete hour-by-hour reference. Subtract 3 hours from Eastern Time to get Pacific Time.

• 12:00 AM EST = 9:00 PM PST (previous day)
• 1:00 AM EST = 10:00 PM PST (previous day)
• 2:00 AM EST = 11:00 PM PST (previous day)
• 3:00 AM EST = 12:00 AM PST
• 4:00 AM EST = 1:00 AM PST
• 5:00 AM EST = 2:00 AM PST
• 6:00 AM EST = 3:00 AM PST
• 7:00 AM EST = 4:00 AM PST
• 8:00 AM EST = 5:00 AM PST
• 9:00 AM EST = 6:00 AM PST
• 10:00 AM EST = 7:00 AM PST
• 11:00 AM EST = 8:00 AM PST
• 12:00 PM EST = 9:00 AM PST
• 1:00 PM EST = 10:00 AM PST
• 2:00 PM EST = 11:00 AM PST
• 3:00 PM EST = 12:00 PM PST
• 4:00 PM EST = 1:00 PM PST
• 5:00 PM EST = 2:00 PM PST
• 6:00 PM EST = 3:00 PM PST
• 7:00 PM EST = 4:00 PM PST
• 8:00 PM EST = 5:00 PM PST
• 9:00 PM EST = 6:00 PM PST
• 10:00 PM EST = 7:00 PM PST
• 11:00 PM EST = 8:00 PM PST

For other conversions, use the time zone converter to compare any two zones instantly.

EST to CST and EST to MST conversions

Besides the coast-to-coast conversion, two other US time zone conversions come up frequently.

EST to CST (Eastern to Central)

Central Standard Time (CST) is UTC-6 — one hour behind Eastern. Cities in Central Time include Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, and New Orleans.

The rule: Subtract 1 hour from Eastern to get Central.

• 9:00 AM EST = 8:00 AM CST
• 12:00 PM EST = 11:00 AM CST
• 3:00 PM EST = 2:00 PM CST
• 6:00 PM EST = 5:00 PM CST

EST to MST (Eastern to Mountain)

Mountain Standard Time (MST) is UTC-7 — two hours behind Eastern. Cities in Mountain Time include Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque.

The rule: Subtract 2 hours from Eastern to get Mountain.

• 9:00 AM EST = 7:00 AM MST
• 12:00 PM EST = 10:00 AM MST
• 3:00 PM EST = 1:00 PM MST
• 6:00 PM EST = 4:00 PM MST

Important note about Arizona: Arizona (Mountain Time) does not observe daylight saving time. During summer, when the rest of the Mountain zone shifts to MDT (UTC-6), Arizona stays at MST (UTC-7). This means Arizona is effectively on Pacific Daylight Time during summer months. Check the time zone map to see how this plays out geographically.

EST to GMT and international conversions

For international scheduling, the most common conversion is Eastern to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is UTC+0.

The rule: Add 5 hours to EST to get GMT. During EDT (summer), add 4 hours.

• 9:00 AM EST = 2:00 PM GMT
• 12:00 PM EST = 5:00 PM GMT
• 3:00 PM EST = 8:00 PM GMT

Other common international conversions from EST:

• EST to CET (Central European Time, UTC+1): Add 6 hours. 9:00 AM EST = 3:00 PM CET.
• EST to IST (India Standard Time, UTC+5:30): Add 10.5 hours. 9:00 AM EST = 7:30 PM IST.
• EST to JST (Japan Standard Time, UTC+9): Add 14 hours. 9:00 AM EST = 11:00 PM JST.
• EST to AEST (Australian Eastern, UTC+10): Add 15 hours. 9:00 AM EST = 12:00 AM AEST (next day).

For any combination, the world clock displays live times across all major cities so you can compare at a glance.

How daylight saving time affects conversions

Daylight saving time changes the abbreviation and UTC offset but does not change the relative difference between US time zones. All four continental US zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific) shift on the same date, so the gaps remain 1, 2, and 3 hours respectively.

Where DST does cause confusion is in international conversions. Not all countries observe DST, and those that do often switch on different dates.

• US DST 2026: Clocks spring forward on March 8 and fall back on November 1.
• EU DST 2026: Clocks spring forward on March 29 and fall back on October 25.

Between March 8 and March 29, the US has already sprung forward but Europe has not. During this window, the difference between New York and London is 4 hours instead of the usual 5. Similarly, between October 25 and November 1, Europe has fallen back but the US has not, creating the same 4-hour gap.

These brief transition windows are the most common source of missed international meetings. The safest approach is to always confirm times using a time zone converter rather than relying on memorized offsets during March and October.

Tips for scheduling across US time zones

Find the overlap window

For a team spanning EST to PST, the comfortable overlap window is roughly 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST (8:00 AM to 3:00 PM PST). Scheduling meetings before 11:00 AM Eastern means asking West Coast colleagues to join before 8:00 AM their time. Scheduling after 6:00 PM Eastern pushes past normal business hours for the East Coast.

Always state the time zone explicitly

"Let's meet at 2:00 PM" is ambiguous. "Let's meet at 2:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM CST / 12:00 PM MST / 11:00 AM PST" leaves no room for error. When sending calendar invitations, most calendar apps automatically convert times, but email and chat do not. Always include the zone.

Use a visual reference

Keep a world clock or time zone map bookmarked for quick checks. When scheduling becomes a daily task, having a live multi-zone display saves minutes of mental math every day.

Account for early and late meetings

If your team rotates meeting times to share the burden of inconvenient hours, track the rotation. A meeting at 8:00 AM PST is a 11:00 AM EST — perfectly reasonable for both coasts. But a meeting at 8:00 AM EST is 5:00 AM PST, which is unsustainable. Fair scheduling means alternating who bears the early or late slot.

Frequently asked questions

Is EST always 3 hours ahead of PST?
Yes. Both Eastern and Pacific time zones shift to daylight saving time on the same dates, so the 3-hour difference is constant throughout the year. EST is always 3 hours ahead of PST, and EDT is always 3 hours ahead of PDT.

What is the difference between EST and EDT?
EST (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC-5, used from November through early March. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) is UTC-4, used from March through November. The switch happens during daylight saving time. The shorthand "ET" (Eastern Time) covers both without specifying which offset is currently active.

Does Hawaii follow PST?
No. Hawaii uses Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST), which is UTC-10 — two hours behind Pacific Time. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving time, so during summer, the difference between Hawaii and the West Coast increases to three hours.

What is the best time to schedule a meeting across all four US time zones?
The sweet spot is 12:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM CST / 10:00 AM MST / 9:00 AM PST. Everyone is within normal business hours. Avoid scheduling before 12:00 PM EST if Mountain or Pacific team members need to be present, as that pushes them before 9:00 AM or even earlier.