Convert PST to EST
Pacific Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Time. When it's 12:00 PM (noon) PST, it's 3:00 PM EST. The gap is a constant 3 hours all year round.
Quick converter
Type any Pacific time to see the Eastern equivalent instantly.
PST to EST at a glance
| Pacific (PST/PDT) | Eastern (EST/EDT) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM (noon) |
| 12:00 PM (noon) | 3:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 9:00 PM | 12:00 AM (next day) |
| 12:00 AM (midnight) | 3:00 AM |
To convert Pacific to Eastern, add 3 hours. To go the other way, see Convert EST to PST.
Convert any time instantly
The table above covers whole hours. For an exact conversion of any specific time and date, use the ZoneKit Time Zone Converter. Set your source city (Los Angeles for Pacific, New York for Eastern) and it shows the equivalent moment instantly, with a day-rollover label when the time crosses midnight.
Why the gap is always exactly 3 hours
The US Pacific and Eastern 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 stays locked at 3 hours in every season. Pacific is the westernmost of the four main continental US zones and Eastern the easternmost, so 3 hours is the widest gap within the lower 48 states.
PST vs PDT, EST vs EDT
The "S" names (PST, EST) are the standard-time winter labels; the "D" names (PDT, EDT) are the summer daylight-time labels. Pacific runs at UTC-8 in winter and UTC-7 in summer; Eastern runs at UTC-5 in winter and UTC-4 in summer. Most people say "PST" and "EST" loosely to mean Pacific and Eastern Time all year. Whatever the season, Pacific stays exactly 3 hours behind Eastern.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is PST behind EST?
Pacific Time is always 3 hours behind Eastern Time. When it is 12:00 PM (noon) PST, it is 3:00 PM EST. The gap never changes because both zones observe US daylight saving time on the same dates.
What is 12 PM PST in EST?
12:00 PM (noon) PST is 3:00 PM EST. Add 3 hours to any Pacific time to get the Eastern equivalent.
What is 9 AM PST in EST?
9:00 AM PST is 12:00 PM (noon) EST. Add 3 hours to convert Pacific to Eastern.
Does the PST to EST difference change with daylight saving?
No. Both zones follow the same US daylight saving schedule and shift on the same days, so the difference stays a constant 3 hours all year. PST becomes PDT and EST becomes EDT in summer, but the 3-hour gap does not change.
Related conversion guides
- Convert EST to PST — the reverse direction
- Convert CST to EST — Central to Eastern, 1 hour
- Convert UTC to EST — the universal reference to Eastern
- Time difference between New York and Los Angeles — the cities behind these zones
- What is UTC? — how time-zone offsets work