UTC to Eastern and Pacific Time: Quick Conversion Guide (With DST Rules)
Quick answer: Eastern Time is UTC minus 5 hours during standard time and UTC minus 4 hours during daylight saving time. Pacific Time is UTC minus 8 hours during standard time and UTC minus 7 hours during daylight saving time. The full conversion table below covers every hour of the day for both seasons.
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) does not change with the seasons. Eastern and Pacific time zones do. That single fact causes most conversion mistakes. This guide gives you the offsets, a complete hour-by-hour table, the exact DST dates for 2026, and the handful of errors that trip people up every year.
Quick Conversion Rules
The only numbers you need to remember are four offsets.
Eastern Time (ET)
- EST (Eastern Standard Time): UTC − 5 hours
- EDT (Eastern Daylight Time): UTC − 4 hours
EST applies from the first Sunday of November through the second Sunday of March. EDT applies the rest of the year.
Pacific Time (PT)
- PST (Pacific Standard Time): UTC − 8 hours
- PDT (Pacific Daylight Time): UTC − 7 hours
PST and PDT follow the same calendar boundaries as EST and EDT.
How to Apply the Offset
Take the UTC time. Subtract the offset. If the result is negative, subtract from 24 and go back one calendar day.
Example: 03:00 UTC during EST → 03:00 − 5 = −2:00 → 24:00 − 2:00 = 22:00 the previous day.
If you work across time zones regularly, consider setting a secondary time zone in Google Calendar so you never need to do the math manually.
Full UTC to Eastern and Pacific Conversion Table
This is the reference you came here for. The table maps every UTC hour to its Eastern and Pacific equivalents for both standard time and daylight saving time.
Standard Time (EST / PST)
Applies roughly early November through mid-March.
| UTC | EST (UTC−5) | PST (UTC−8) |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 7:00 PM (prev day) | 4:00 PM (prev day) |
| 01:00 | 8:00 PM (prev day) | 5:00 PM (prev day) |
| 02:00 | 9:00 PM (prev day) | 6:00 PM (prev day) |
| 03:00 | 10:00 PM (prev day) | 7:00 PM (prev day) |
| 04:00 | 11:00 PM (prev day) | 8:00 PM (prev day) |
| 05:00 | 12:00 AM | 9:00 PM (prev day) |
| 06:00 | 1:00 AM | 10:00 PM (prev day) |
| 07:00 | 2:00 AM | 11:00 PM (prev day) |
| 08:00 | 3:00 AM | 12:00 AM |
| 09:00 | 4:00 AM | 1:00 AM |
| 10:00 | 5:00 AM | 2:00 AM |
| 11:00 | 6:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 12:00 | 7:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| 13:00 | 8:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 14:00 | 9:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 15:00 | 10:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 16:00 | 11:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 17:00 | 12:00 PM | 9:00 AM |
| 18:00 | 1:00 PM | 10:00 AM |
| 19:00 | 2:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 20:00 | 3:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| 21:00 | 4:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| 22:00 | 5:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 23:00 | 6:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
Daylight Saving Time (EDT / PDT)
Applies roughly mid-March through early November.
| UTC | EDT (UTC−4) | PDT (UTC−7) |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 8:00 PM (prev day) | 5:00 PM (prev day) |
| 01:00 | 9:00 PM (prev day) | 6:00 PM (prev day) |
| 02:00 | 10:00 PM (prev day) | 7:00 PM (prev day) |
| 03:00 | 11:00 PM (prev day) | 8:00 PM (prev day) |
| 04:00 | 12:00 AM | 9:00 PM (prev day) |
| 05:00 | 1:00 AM | 10:00 PM (prev day) |
| 06:00 | 2:00 AM | 11:00 PM (prev day) |
| 07:00 | 3:00 AM | 12:00 AM |
| 08:00 | 4:00 AM | 1:00 AM |
| 09:00 | 5:00 AM | 2:00 AM |
| 10:00 | 6:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 11:00 | 7:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| 12:00 | 8:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 13:00 | 9:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 14:00 | 10:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 15:00 | 11:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 16:00 | 12:00 PM | 9:00 AM |
| 17:00 | 1:00 PM | 10:00 AM |
| 18:00 | 2:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 19:00 | 3:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| 20:00 | 4:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| 21:00 | 5:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 22:00 | 6:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| 23:00 | 7:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
Bookmark this page or screenshot the table that matches the current season. During DST transition weeks, check the next section before relying on either table.
When DST Starts and Ends in 2026
DST rules follow a fixed formula in the United States. Clocks spring forward on the second Sunday of March and fall back on the first Sunday of November.
2026 US DST Dates
- DST begins: Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:00 AM local time. Clocks move to 3:00 AM.
- DST ends: Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00 AM local time. Clocks move back to 1:00 AM.
Before March 8: use the Standard Time table (EST/PST). From March 8 onward: use the Daylight Saving Time table (EDT/PDT). From November 1 onward: switch back to the Standard Time table.
The transition happens at 2:00 AM local time, not 2:00 AM UTC. That means Eastern switches one hour before Pacific on the same Sunday morning.
The “Gap Week” Problem: US and EU DST Change on Different Dates
This is the most overlooked source of scheduling errors for international teams. The US and the European Union do not change their clocks on the same weekend.
2026 Gap Weeks
- Spring gap: The US springs forward on March 8. The EU springs forward on March 29. Between those dates, the offset between UTC and US time zones is already shifted, but the offset between the US and Europe is temporarily one hour different from normal.
- Autumn gap: The EU falls back on October 25. The US falls back on November 1. Again, a one-week window where the usual difference between US and European clocks is off by one hour.
Why This Matters
If you schedule a recurring meeting at “15:00 UTC” with participants in New York and London, the local times will shift by one hour on different weekends. For three weeks in March and one week in October/November, someone will show up early or late.
How to handle it:
- Use UTC as the anchor for recurring meetings and let each participant’s calendar convert to local time.
- Confirm times explicitly during transition weeks.
- Use a tool like a dedicated time zone converter to verify before sending invites.
How to Handle UTC in Google Calendar
Google Calendar stores all events in UTC internally and converts to your display time zone automatically. This means most UTC conversion is handled for you — if your settings are correct.
Setting Your Time Zone
Go to Settings > General > Time zone and confirm it matches your physical location. If it is wrong, every event on your calendar will display the wrong local time. See what Google Calendar’s time zone setting actually controls for a deeper explanation.
Adding a Secondary Time Zone
If you regularly coordinate with people in another time zone, add a secondary time zone to your calendar. This displays a second time column alongside your default one. Go to Settings > Time zone > check “Display secondary time zone.” Set it to UTC, or to the time zone of the team you work with most.
Creating Events in a Specific Time Zone
When you create an event, click the time zone link next to the time picker. You can set the event’s start and end time in any time zone. Google Calendar will convert it to your local time zone for display. This is the safest way to schedule a meeting when someone sends you a UTC time.
Watching for All-Day Events
All-day events do not have a UTC timestamp. They are pinned to a calendar date, not a specific moment. If someone in London creates an all-day event on March 15, it appears on March 15 for everyone regardless of time zone. This is by design, but it confuses people who expect time zone conversion to apply.
If you work across many time zones and want a faster way to see times at a glance, TimeHopper adds a multi-timezone clock directly to your Google Calendar sidebar.
Five Common UTC Conversion Mistakes
Even experienced remote workers make these errors. Knowing them in advance saves you from missed meetings and blown deadlines.
1. Using the Wrong Offset for the Season
This is the most common mistake. Someone memorizes “Eastern is UTC minus 5” and uses that year-round. During daylight saving time, Eastern is UTC minus 4. One hour may not sound like much, but it means joining a call 60 minutes late.
Fix: Always check whether DST is currently in effect before converting.
2. Forgetting That UTC Does Not Change
UTC is constant. It does not spring forward or fall back. When US clocks change, the offset between UTC and US time zones changes — UTC itself stays the same. People sometimes think “UTC also shifted” and double-apply the correction.
Fix: Only adjust the local side of the conversion. UTC is your fixed reference point.
3. Confusing EST with ET
EST means Eastern Standard Time — the winter offset only. ET means Eastern Time and covers both EST and EDT depending on the season. If you write “2:00 PM EST” in July, you are technically specifying a time that does not exist in July in the Eastern time zone. Most people will interpret it as ET, but automated systems may not.
Fix: Use “ET” and “PT” unless you specifically mean the standard or daylight variant.
4. Ignoring the Date-Line Rollover
When UTC is in the early morning hours (00:00 through 04:00), Eastern and Pacific are still on the previous calendar day. Scheduling a meeting for “Tuesday at 02:00 UTC” means it happens Monday evening in the US. People read “Tuesday” and block the wrong day.
Fix: Always include the local date alongside the local time when converting from UTC.
5. Assuming All US Time Zones Shift Together
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) does not observe daylight saving time. Hawaii does not observe it either. If you are converting UTC for someone in Phoenix, the offset is always UTC minus 7, regardless of season. During summer, Phoenix is on the same clock as PDT. During winter, it matches MST but not PST.
Fix: Confirm whether the specific location observes DST before applying a seasonal offset.
FAQ
What is the difference between UTC and GMT?
For everyday scheduling, there is no practical difference. UTC and GMT both refer to the same time at the Prime Meridian with no seasonal offset. Technically, UTC is the modern standard maintained by atomic clocks, while GMT is an older astronomical standard. The two can differ by up to 0.9 seconds, but this is irrelevant for calendar scheduling. Use whichever term your team recognizes.
Why does Eastern Time switch between UTC−4 and UTC−5?
Because the United States observes daylight saving time. From the second Sunday of March through the first Sunday of November, clocks move forward one hour. This reduces the offset from UTC by one hour: EST (UTC−5) becomes EDT (UTC−4). The same logic applies to Pacific, Central, and Mountain time zones.
How do I convert UTC to Eastern Time in my head?
During standard time, subtract 5. During daylight saving time, subtract 4. If the result goes below zero, add 24 and go back one day. For example, 03:00 UTC in winter: 3 minus 5 equals negative 2. Add 24 to get 22:00 (10:00 PM) the previous day. With practice, this becomes automatic for common hours.
Does Google Calendar automatically handle UTC conversion?
Yes. Google Calendar stores every timed event in UTC and converts it to your local time zone for display. If your time zone setting is correct, you will see the right local time without doing any math. The risk is when your time zone setting is wrong, or when you manually type a time that was given in UTC without using the time zone picker. See how to change your time zone in Google Calendar for step-by-step instructions.
What happens to recurring meetings during DST transitions?
If a recurring meeting is set to “10:00 AM Eastern Time every Tuesday,” Google Calendar keeps it at 10:00 AM Eastern regardless of whether that is EST or EDT. The UTC equivalent shifts by one hour when DST changes. This is usually the behavior you want. The meeting stays at the same wall-clock time for everyone in the Eastern time zone. However, for participants in time zones that do not observe DST (or that switch on different dates), the meeting will appear to shift by one hour during transition periods.
Sources
- NIST: Official US Time — US government atomic clock reference for UTC
- timeanddate.com: DST Dates 2026 — Daylight saving time transition dates by country and year
- IANA Time Zone Database — The authoritative source for global time zone rules used by operating systems and applications
- Google Calendar Help: Change Time Zone — Google’s documentation on time zone settings in Calendar
- US Department of Transportation: Daylight Saving Time — Federal rules governing DST observance in the United States
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