Time Difference: London and New York
New York is 5 hours behind London for most of the year. 2:00 PM in London is 9:00 AM in New York, or 10:00 AM in the few weeks when the gap is 4 hours.
Daylight saving note: New York is 5 hours behind London in winter and in summer. For a few weeks in March and about a week in late October the gap is 4 hours, because the UK and the US change clocks on different dates.
Counting Back From London to New York
From London, New York is five hours back in most weeks. Take 5 off a London time: 6:00 PM in London is 1:00 PM in New York. The two cities are in the same season most of the year, which keeps the gap steady.
The 4 hour weeks come from different change dates. New York moves forward on the second Sunday in March, before London does, and London moves back on the last Sunday in October, before New York does. In those windows 6:00 PM in London is 2:00 PM in New York.
If you work from London and set a series for New York attendees, a London-time invite stays put on your side and moves by an hour on theirs in those windows. Quote the New York time in the invite as well.
London to New York Conversion Table
Each column is one real season of the London-New York gap. Pick the column that matches your date.
| 🇬🇧 London (GMT) | 🇺🇸 New York (GMT → EST) | 🇺🇸 New York (BST → EDT) | 🇺🇸 New York (GMT → EDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 19:00(prev day) | 19:00(prev day) | 20:00(prev day) |
| 03:00 | 22:00(prev day) | 22:00(prev day) | 23:00(prev day) |
| 06:00 | 01:00 | 01:00 | 02:00 |
| 09:00 | 04:00 | 04:00 | 05:00 |
| 12:00 | 07:00 | 07:00 | 08:00 |
| 15:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 |
| 18:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 |
| 21:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 |
- GMT → EST: first Sunday in November to second Sunday in March, while both are on standard time
- BST → EDT: last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October, while both are on summer time
- GMT → EDT: a few weeks from the second Sunday in March, and about a week from the last Sunday in October, when only the US is on summer time
* "next day" / "prev day" = the converted time falls on a different calendar date.
London Afternoons, New York Mornings
London's 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM is the shared window with a New York morning. That's 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM in New York in most weeks, and 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the 4-hour windows. London's earlier hours are too early for New York, and after 5:00 PM London has closed.
Avoiding London-New York Time Mistakes
New York is behind, so an early morning in London is still the previous calendar day in New York. With a 5 hours gap, that applies to anything before 5:00 AM in London: 4:30 AM there is 11:30 PM the previous day in New York. When the gap narrows to 4 hours, the cut-off moves to 4:00 AM.
Booking from London's morning is the common slip. 10:00 AM in London is 5:00 AM in New York, well before most New York offices open. Going the other way, 9:00 AM in New York is 2:00 PM in London in most weeks and 1:00 PM in the 4-hour windows.
A Worked Example: A London Lunchtime Call With a New York Morning
Say a London team calls New York at 1:00 PM London time. That's 8:00 AM in New York in most weeks and 9:00 AM in the 4-hour windows. If New York hosts at 10:00 AM, London joins at 3:00 PM most weeks and 2:00 PM in the short windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between London and New York?
New York is 5 hours behind London for most of the year. For a few weeks in March and about a week in late October the gap is 4 hours, because the UK and the US change clocks on different dates.
What time is 9 AM in London in New York?
4:00 AM in New York in most weeks, and 5:00 AM in the 4-hour windows. Either way it's the early hours of the morning.
Why is the London-New York gap sometimes 4 hours?
The US moves its clocks on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. The UK moves on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. In the weeks between, only one side has changed, so the gap drops to 4 hours.
What is the best time for a London-New York call?
London afternoon, between 2:00 and 5:00 PM, which is 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM in New York in most weeks.