Clockjumper

Timezone conversion

EST to CET Converter (2026)

CET (Central European Time) is 6 hours ahead of EST (US Eastern Standard Time). When it's 9:00 AM EST in New York, it's 3:00 PM CET in Paris, Berlin, and Rome. Both regions observe daylight saving, so the 6-hour gap stays constant almost all year — apart from a two-week mismatch each spring and autumn.

Last updated June 25, 2026 · Maintained by Clockjumper

Quick answer

CET is 6h ahead of EST. Add 6 hours to EST to get CET. The best window for a US East Coast ↔ Europe call is 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST (2:00 – 6:00 PM CET). Because the US switches to EDT earlier in March and off it later in November than Europe switches to/from CEST, the gap briefly drops to 5 hours during those transition windows.

CET is currently 6h ahead of EST.

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

New York (US East Coast) • EDT (UTC-4)
11:35 PM
Thursday, Jul 2
Paris / Berlin / Rome • CEST (UTC+2)
5:35 AM
Friday, Jul 3

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

Interactive converter

12:00PM

12
:
00

Key conversion times

  • 6:00 AM EST12:00 PM CET
    Very early East Coast — European lunch, last easy call slot into Europe
  • 8:00 AM EST2:00 PM CET
    Start of the US workday — European early afternoon, prime overlap
  • 9:00 AM EST3:00 PM CET
    New York mid-morning — European mid-afternoon, best window
  • 11:00 AM EST5:00 PM CET
    US late morning — end of the European workday
  • 3:00 PM EST9:00 PM CET
    US mid-afternoon — European evening, past working hours in Europe

Full EST to CET conversion table

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

Daylight saving and how the gap changes

EST (UTC-5) switches to EDT (UTC-4) on the second Sunday of March and reverts on the first Sunday of November. CET (UTC+1) switches to CEST (UTC+2) on the last Sunday of March and reverts on the last Sunday of October. Both observe DST so the 6-hour East Coast ↔ Central Europe gap holds throughout most of the year — with a ~2-week window each spring and autumn where the gap is 5 hours instead.

Frequently asked questions

What is the time difference between EST and CET?
CET (Central European Time, UTC+1) is 6 hours ahead of EST (US Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5). When it's 9:00 AM EST in New York, it's 3:00 PM CET in Berlin.
What time is 9 AM EST in CET?
9:00 AM EST is 3:00 PM CET the same day.
What time is 5 PM EST in CET?
5:00 PM EST is 11:00 PM CET the same day.
Does daylight saving affect the EST-to-CET gap?
Mostly no — both regions observe DST and stay 6 hours apart year-round. But the US moves clocks earlier in March and later in November than Europe does, so for about two weeks each spring and autumn the gap briefly becomes 5 hours.
When is the best time to schedule a US → Europe meeting?
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST (2:00 – 6:00 PM CET) is the widest overlap. Later than noon EST and it's past 6 PM in Europe; earlier than 8 AM EST and it's late evening in Europe.

Related conversions