What is Eastern Standard Time?

Eastern Standard Time (EST) is the time zone designated for the Eastern region of the United States and parts of Canada. It is five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). EST is one hour ahead of the Central Time Zone, two hours ahead of the Mountain Time Zone, and three hours ahead of the Pacific Time Zone. By switching from standard to daylight savings time, the difference in time shifts to four hours behind UTC.

Differences Between EST and Eastern Daylight Time

Although Eastern Standard Time and Eastern Daylight Time have the same time offset of -5 hours (UTC), the two are different. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is used in the summer months when people are observing Daylight Saving Time (DST). During that time, it is four hours behind UTC. EST is used the rest of the year. This changeover occurs on the second Sunday in March and reverts back to EST on the first Sunday in November.

EST Time Zone in Practice

When it is noon in EST, it is 5:00 pm in UTC. If it is midnight in EST, it is 5:00 am in UTC. In July, when EDT is in effect, when it is noon in EDT, it is 4 pm in UTC, and when it is midnight in EDT, it is 4 am in UTC.

The central parts of Canada, Bolivia, and Colombia use EST too; however, their daylight savings pattern is different from that of the United States.

When it is November, those countries will have their local time shift by one hour. For instance, Bogotá could have the time difference of -6 knowing that it is five hour behind the UTC time. For Colombians and Bolivians, the same time difference of -6 (-5 UTC) applies during the September/October observation of DST, just as it does for the United States and Canada.

Additionally, nine other countries, such as Cuba, Angola, and some Caribbean islands, observe EST throughout the year. For these areas, the local time is always -5 UTC ( midnight in EST is 5 am in UTC ).