EST to PST
Pacific Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Time. Enter an Eastern time to see what it is on the West Coast.
EST to PST in one line
Subtract 3 hours. 12:00 noon in New York is 9:00 AM in Los Angeles. The gap is the same in winter and summer, because both coasts change their clocks on the same nights.
EST to PST conversion table
| Eastern Time | Pacific Time |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM (midnight) | 9:00 PM, previous day |
| 1:00 AM | 10:00 PM, previous day |
| 2:00 AM | 11:00 PM, previous day |
| 3:00 AM | 12:00 AM |
| 4:00 AM | 1:00 AM |
| 5:00 AM | 2:00 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 10:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 11:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 12:00 PM (noon) | 9:00 AM |
| 1:00 PM | 10:00 AM |
| 2:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 3:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| 4:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| 7:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 8:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 9:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 10:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 11:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
Start times announced in Eastern Time
National broadcasts, product launches and sports fixtures in the United States are usually announced in Eastern Time. This is what they mean on the West Coast.
| Announced as | Pacific Time | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM ET | 6:30 AM | US stock markets open |
| 1:00 PM ET | 10:00 AM | Early Sunday football kickoff, product announcements |
| 4:00 PM ET | 1:00 PM | US stock markets close |
| 8:00 PM ET | 5:00 PM | Prime-time sports and live events |
| 11:59 PM ET | 8:59 PM | Deadlines for applications and sales |
A deadline of 11:59 PM Eastern is 8:59 PM Pacific, so on the West Coast it falls in the evening, not at midnight. Missing that is the most common mistake with this conversion.
Calling the West Coast from the East
An East Coast morning is too early for the West Coast. 9:00 AM in New York is 6:00 AM in Los Angeles. If both sides work 9 to 5, the shared hours are 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM Eastern, which is 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Pacific. Early afternoon Eastern is the safe time to ring.
EST, EDT, PST and PDT
| Period | Eastern | Pacific | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard time, early November to mid March | EST, UTC−5 | PST, UTC−8 | 3 hours |
| Daylight time, mid March to early November | EDT, UTC−4 | PDT, UTC−7 | 3 hours |
In 2026, daylight time in the United States runs from Sunday 8 March to Sunday 1 November. People say “EST” and “PST” all year, but in summer the correct names are EDT and PDT. Writing ET and PT is right in every season.
To go the other way, use PST to EST. For other zones, use the time zone converter.
Questions
How many hours behind is PST from EST?
Three. Pacific Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Time throughout the year.
What is 12 PM EST in PST?
9:00 AM.
What is 8 PM EST in PST?
5:00 PM.
What is 3 PM EST in PST?
12:00 PM.
Does Arizona follow Pacific Time?
Most of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year and does not change its clocks. In summer that matches Pacific Daylight Time, so Phoenix and Los Angeles show the same time from March to November.