Clockjumper

Timezone conversion

CET to EST Converter (2026)

EST (US Eastern Standard Time) is 6 hours behind CET (Central European Time). When it's 3:00 PM CET in Paris, Berlin, or Rome, it's 9:00 AM EST in New York. Both zones observe daylight saving on almost the same weekends, so the 6-hour gap holds nearly year-round — with a short window each spring and autumn where the transitions don't line up.

Last updated June 25, 2026 · Maintained by Clockjumper

Quick answer

EST is 6h behind CET. Subtract 6 hours from CET to get EST. The best window for a live Europe ↔ US East Coast call is 2:00 – 6:00 PM CET (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST). Because Europe and the US both observe DST — Europe on the last Sundays of March and October, the US on the second Sunday of March and first Sunday of November — the gap becomes 5 hours for a couple of weeks each spring and autumn.

EST is currently 6h behind CET.

Right now Paris / Berlin / Rome is on CEST (UTC+2) and New York (US East Coast) on EDT (UTC-4). This flips back to the standard CET/EST gap once daylight saving ends.

Paris / Berlin / Rome • CEST (UTC+2)
5:34 AM
Friday, Jul 3
New York (US East Coast) • EDT (UTC-4)
11:34 PM
Thursday, Jul 2

Live clocks above use each region's current local time (DST-aware). The reference table below uses the fixed CET → EST standard offset — see the DST section for how the gap changes across the year.

Interactive converter

12:00PM

12
:
00

Key conversion times

  • 2:00 PM CET8:00 AM EST
    European early afternoon — start of the US East Coast workday, prime overlap
  • 3:00 PM CET9:00 AM EST
    European mid-afternoon — US East Coast mid-morning, best call slot
  • 5:00 PM CET11:00 AM EST
    End of the European workday — US mid-morning
  • 6:00 PM CET12:00 PM EST
    Early European evening — New York noon
  • 9:00 AM CET3:00 AM EST
    Start of the European workday — middle of the US night, no live overlap

Full CET to EST conversion table

CET (Paris)EST (New York)
12:00 AM6:00 PM(previous day)
1:00 AM7:00 PM(previous day)
2:00 AM8:00 PM(previous day)
3:00 AM9:00 PM(previous day)
4:00 AM10:00 PM(previous day)
5:00 AM11:00 PM(previous day)
6:00 AM12:00 AM
7:00 AM1:00 AM
8:00 AM2:00 AM
9:00 AM3:00 AM
10:00 AM4:00 AM
11:00 AM5:00 AM
12:00 PM6:00 AM
1:00 PM7:00 AM
2:00 PM8:00 AM
3:00 PM9:00 AM
4:00 PM10:00 AM
5:00 PM11:00 AM
6:00 PM12:00 PM
7:00 PM1:00 PM
8:00 PM2:00 PM
9:00 PM3:00 PM
10:00 PM4:00 PM
11:00 PM5:00 PM

Daylight saving and how the gap changes

CET (UTC+1) switches to CEST (UTC+2) on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday of October. EST (UTC-5) switches to EDT (UTC-4) on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November. Both moves cancel out for most of the year, keeping the Central-Europe ↔ US-East-Coast gap at exactly 6 hours. In the roughly two weeks between the US and European spring switches, and again between the European and US autumn switches, the gap briefly becomes 5 hours.

Frequently asked questions

What is the time difference between CET and EST?
CET (Central European Time, UTC+1) is 6 hours ahead of EST (US Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5). When it's 3:00 PM CET in Berlin, it's 9:00 AM EST in New York.
Does daylight saving change the gap between CET and EST?
For most of the year, no — Europe and the US both observe DST, so CEST/EDT still leaves a 6-hour gap. But the switches don't happen on the same weekends: the US moves clocks forward earlier in March and backward later in November than Europe, so for about two weeks each March and November the gap briefly becomes 5 hours instead of 6.
What time is 3 PM CET in EST?
3:00 PM CET is 9:00 AM EST the same day.
What time is 9 AM EST in CET?
9:00 AM EST is 3:00 PM CET the same day.
When is the best time to schedule a Europe ↔ US East Coast meeting?
2:00 – 6:00 PM CET (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST) is the widest overlap inside both sides' 9-to-5. It's the last few hours of the European workday and the first four hours of the New York workday.

Related conversions