Eastern Standard Time (EST) is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is in use during standard time in: North America, Caribbean, Central America. What time is it in EST right now? Eastern Standard Time (EST) is UTC-5:00 (EDT UTC-4:00 in summer). Live EST clock with seconds, timezone info, and time conversions. See the current Eastern Time right now. Live EST/EDT clock with date, UTC offset, and city comparison tool. Covers all US states in the Eastern Time Zone. Eastern Standard Time (EST), which is five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC−05:00) and observed during late autumn and winter, and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is four hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC−04:00) and observed during spring, summer, and early autumn. Check exact current time and discover the key facts about Eastern Standard Time. View current time for EST (Eastern Standard Time) time zone [Updated live]. Other countries and time zones with the same UTC listed too. Exact time now, time zone, time difference, sunrise/sunset time and key facts for Eastern Standard Time (EST). The term Eastern Time (ET) is often used to denote the local time in areas observing either Eastern Standard Time (EST) or Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). In other words, in locations observing Daylight Saving Time during part of the year, Eastern Time is not static but switches between EST and EDT. The Eastern Time Zone runs along the east coast of North America, observing standard time at five hours behind UTC (UTC-5), shifting to four hours behind (UTC-4) during daylight saving time. UTC is always displayed as a 24-hour clock. NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.