Convert EST to PST
Eastern Time is 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time. When it's 12:00 PM (noon) EST, it's 9:00 AM PST. The gap is a constant 3 hours all year round.
EST to PST at a glance
| Eastern (EST/EDT) | Pacific (PST/PDT) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 12:00 PM (noon) | 9:00 AM |
| 3:00 PM | 12:00 PM (noon) |
| 5:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| 9:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 12:00 AM (midnight) | 9:00 PM (previous day) |
To convert Eastern to Pacific, subtract 3 hours. To go the other way (Pacific to Eastern), add 3 hours.
Convert any time instantly
The table above covers whole hours. For an exact conversion of any specific time and date — including the daylight saving transition weeks — use the ZoneKit Time Zone Converter. Set your source city (New York for Eastern, Los Angeles for Pacific) and it shows the equivalent moment instantly, with a "next day" or "previous day" label when the date rolls over.
Why the gap is always exactly 3 hours
The US Eastern and Pacific zones both follow the same federal daylight saving schedule. Clocks spring forward on the second Sunday of March and fall back on the first Sunday of November — on the same day in both zones. Because they shift together, the difference between them never changes: it is 3 hours in January and 3 hours in July.
This is different from transatlantic pairs like London and New York, where the two regions change their clocks on different dates and the gap briefly wobbles for a couple of weeks each spring and autumn. Within the US, the zone offsets stay locked to each other.
EST vs EDT — the name changes, the gap doesn't
Strictly speaking, "EST" (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5) is the winter name and "EDT" (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4) is the summer name. The same applies to Pacific: PST (UTC-8) in winter, PDT (UTC-7) in summer. Most people say "EST" or "Eastern" loosely to mean Eastern Time whatever the season. Either way, Eastern stays 3 hours ahead of Pacific — you rarely need to worry about the standard-vs-daylight distinction when converting between two US zones, only when converting to a zone outside the US that changes on different dates.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is EST ahead of PST?
Eastern Time is always 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time. When it is 12:00 PM (noon) EST, it is 9:00 AM PST. The gap never changes because both zones observe US daylight saving time on the same dates.
What is 12 PM EST in PST?
12:00 PM (noon) EST is 9:00 AM PST. Subtract 3 hours from any Eastern time to get the Pacific equivalent.
Does the EST to PST difference change with daylight saving?
No. Both zones follow the same US daylight saving schedule and shift together, so the difference stays a constant 3 hours all year. The names change (EST→EDT, PST→PDT in summer) but the 3-hour gap does not.
What is the difference between EST and EDT?
EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5) is used in winter; EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4) is used in summer. People often say "EST" loosely to mean Eastern Time year-round. Either way, Eastern stays 3 hours ahead of Pacific.
Related conversion guides
- Convert EST to CST — Eastern to Central, 1 hour
- Convert UTC to EST — the universal reference to Eastern
- Convert GMT to IST — UK to India, 5½ hours
- Time difference between New York and Los Angeles — the cities behind these zones
- What is UTC? — how time-zone offsets work