Time Zones
Time Difference Between the UK and the US
The UK–US time difference is not a single number — it depends on which part of the US you mean, and changes twice a year with daylight saving time. Here is the full breakdown.
UK vs US time zones — at a glance
Why the difference changes — DST explained
Both the UK and the US observe daylight saving time, but they switch clocks on different dates. The US moves clocks forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November. The UK moves forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
This means for 2–3 weeks in spring (after the US changes but before the UK does), the difference is temporarily 1 hour less than usual. For 1 week in autumn (after the UK changes but before the US does), it is 1 hour more. For meetings and calls, always use a live time zone converter rather than relying on a fixed number.
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Open Time Zone Converter →Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between the UK and New York?
New York (Eastern Time) is 5 hours behind the UK during US Eastern Standard Time (EST, November–March) and 5 hours behind during UK BST / 4 hours behind when the US is on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, March–November). The exact difference changes twice a year when the clocks change — and the UK and US change their clocks on different dates, so there is usually a 2–3 week period each spring where the gap is temporarily 4 hours.
What is the time difference between the UK and Los Angeles?
Los Angeles (Pacific Time) is 8 hours behind the UK during UK GMT (winter) and 8 hours behind during UK BST (summer). During US Pacific Standard Time (PST), it is 8 hours behind GMT. During US Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), it is 8 hours behind BST. The difference stays at 8 hours most of the year, with the same 2–3 week anomaly each spring.
How many hours ahead is the UK compared to the US?
The UK is 5–8 hours ahead of the US depending on which US time zone you mean: 5 hours ahead of Eastern Time (New York), 6 hours ahead of Central Time (Chicago), 7 hours ahead of Mountain Time (Denver), and 8 hours ahead of Pacific Time (Los Angeles). During DST transition periods, these differences can shift by 1 hour temporarily.
Does the UK and US time difference change with daylight saving?
Yes — and it gets complicated because the UK and US switch clocks on different weekends. The UK switches in late March and late October. The US switches in early March and early November. This means for 2–3 weeks each spring, the difference is 1 hour less than usual, and for 1 week each autumn, it is 1 hour more than usual.
If it is 9am in London, what time is it in New York?
If it is 9am in London (GMT/BST), it is 4am in New York (when the difference is 5 hours). The key is knowing which offset is currently active — for most of the year between March and November, New York is on EDT and is 5 hours behind London BST. From November to March, New York is on EST and is 5 hours behind London GMT.
What is the best time to call from the UK to the US?
For a call between London and New York, 2pm–6pm London time works well — that is 9am–1pm New York time, covering standard business hours in both locations. For London to Los Angeles, 5pm–8pm London gives 9am–12pm LA time. Earlier calls from the UK favour the US side; later calls favour the UK side.