CET to EST

CET to EST in one line

Subtract 6 hours. Europe and the United States both move their clocks forward for summer, so the difference stays the same in winter and in summer. It changes only in the weeks when one has moved and the other has not.

The converter above uses the date you enter, so it picks the right row for you.

CET to EST conversion table

The weeks when the difference is five hours

The United States starts daylight time on the second Sunday of March and ends it on the first Sunday of November. The European Union starts summer time on the last Sunday of March and ends it on the last Sunday of October. In 2026 that means US daylight time runs from Sunday 8 March to Sunday 1 November, and European summer time from Sunday 29 March to Sunday 25 October.

For three weeks in March and one week at the end of October, the East Coast is therefore only 5 hours behind. Recurring meetings set up in one calendar move by an hour for the people in the other, which is the usual cause of a missed transatlantic call in spring.

Shared working hours for Europe and US East Coast teams

The European afternoon is the East Coast morning, which leaves about three working hours in common.

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq trade from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern, which is 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM in Central Europe, and an hour earlier in the 5-hour weeks.

Who uses CET

Central European Time is the clock of most of the European mainland, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. In summer the same countries are on CEST, Central European Summer Time, which is UTC+2.

The United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal are not on CET. They are an hour behind it all year. The converter above uses Berlin for Central Europe and New York for the East Coast.

To convert between the US coasts, use EST to PST. For other cities, use the time zone converter.

Questions

How many hours behind CET is EST?

6 hours. For a few weeks in March and one week around the end of October, when only the United States is on daylight time, the East Coast is 5 hours behind.

What is 3 PM CET in EST?

9:00 AM. In the 5-hour weeks it is 10:00 AM Eastern.

What is 9 AM CET in EST?

3:00 AM. In the 5-hour weeks it is 4:00 AM Eastern.

What is 6 PM CET in EST?

12:00 PM. In the 5-hour weeks it is 1:00 PM Eastern.

Is CET the same as CEST?

CET is the winter time in Central Europe, UTC+1. CEST is the summer time, UTC+2. People often say CET for both.

Is the UK on CET?

No. The United Kingdom is on GMT in winter and British Summer Time in summer, one hour behind Central Europe throughout the year.

Last reviewed 11 October 2026.