How do I convert CET to EST?

Subtract 6 hours. Noon in Central European Time is 6:00 AM in Eastern Time. The converter above handles the daylight-saving switch dates automatically for any date you enter.

Is Eastern Time ahead of or behind Central European Time?

Eastern Time is 6 hours behind Central European Time for almost the whole year (see the daylight-saving section for the exception weeks). EST/EDT US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November (clocks forward at 2:00 AM).

What is the best time to schedule a call between CET and EST?

Both sides are at work between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM CET/CEST (9:00 AM–11:00 AM EST/EDT) on a normal weekday — 2 shared hours. Meetings in that window avoid anyone starting before 9 or staying past 5.

Does the CET–EST difference change with daylight saving time?

Mostly no: both zones observe daylight saving time but switch on different dates, so for two to three weeks in March/April and October/November the gap is one hour different from usual. The converter above applies the exact switch dates for any date you enter.

CET to EST Converter

Eastern Time is 6 hours behind Central European Time (except for a few weeks around the daylight-saving changes): to convert CET to EST, subtract 6 hours. Live clocks for both zones are below, then a converter for any date and time, the full 24-hour chart and the best hours for a call.

Now in Central European Time · Paris

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Now in Eastern Time · New York

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Convert a specific time

From

Central European Time (CET/CEST)

Time

Date

Eastern Time (EST/EDT)

Central European Time → Eastern Time (all year)
CET	EST	CET	EST
12:00 AM	6:00 PM (prev. day)	12:00 PM	6:00 AM
1:00 AM	7:00 PM (prev. day)	1:00 PM	7:00 AM
2:00 AM	8:00 PM (prev. day)	2:00 PM	8:00 AM
3:00 AM	9:00 PM (prev. day)	3:00 PM	9:00 AM
4:00 AM	10:00 PM (prev. day)	4:00 PM	10:00 AM
5:00 AM	11:00 PM (prev. day)	5:00 PM	11:00 AM
6:00 AM	12:00 AM	6:00 PM	12:00 PM
7:00 AM	1:00 AM	7:00 PM	1:00 PM
8:00 AM	2:00 AM	8:00 PM	2:00 PM
9:00 AM	3:00 AM	9:00 PM	3:00 PM
10:00 AM	4:00 AM	10:00 PM	4:00 PM
11:00 AM	5:00 AM	11:00 PM	5:00 PM

Daylight saving time and the CET–EST gap

Central European Time (CET/CEST) — European summer time runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October (clocks forward at 1:00 UTC). UTC offset in January: UTC+1; in July: UTC+2.

Eastern Time (EST/EDT) — US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November (clocks forward at 2:00 AM). UTC offset in January: UTC−5; in July: UTC−4.

The usual rule is: subtract 6 hours. It is off by one hour only during the two to three weeks a year when one zone has already switched and the other has not (mid-March to late March, and late October to early November); the converter above gets those weeks right.

Other time zone conversions

EST to CET EST to PST PST to EST EST to CST CST to EST MST to EST EST to MST EST to GMT GMT to EST Any zone → any zone

CET to EST Converter

CET to EST conversion chart

Daylight saving time and the CET–EST gap

Other time zone conversions

Frequently asked questions

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