How Pacific and Eastern time line up
Take the Pacific time and add three hours. When the result passes midnight, it falls on the next day in the East. Common conversions:
- 6:00 AM Pacific is 9:00 AM Eastern.
- 9:00 AM Pacific is 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern.
- 12:00 PM (noon) Pacific is 3:00 PM Eastern.
- 2:00 PM Pacific is 5:00 PM Eastern.
- 5:00 PM Pacific is 8:00 PM Eastern.
- 9:00 PM Pacific is 12:00 AM (midnight) Eastern, the next day.
Catching events on the East Coast
Many launches, sales and live streams are announced in Eastern time. If something starts at 12:00 PM ET, it starts at 9:00 AM where you are on the West Coast.
Prime time TV in the East starts at 8:00 PM. Networks usually delay the Pacific feed so shows air at 8:00 PM local time there too, but live sports and news air at the same moment everywhere, which is 5:00 PM Pacific.
Working with an East Coast team
Your workday ends three hours after theirs. If the team in New York stops at 5:00 PM, that is 2:00 PM for you, so send questions before lunch to get answers the same day. The shared office hours, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Pacific, are marked green in the table.
PST, PDT, EST and EDT
Pacific Standard Time and Eastern Standard Time are used in winter. From mid-March to early November the zones use PDT and EDT. Right now it is PDT in the West and EDT in the East.
Questions and answers
What is 9 AM Pacific in Eastern time?
9:00 AM Pacific Time is 12:00 PM, noon, Eastern Time.
What is 5 PM Pacific in Eastern time?
5:00 PM Pacific is 8:00 PM Eastern.
How many hours ahead is Eastern Time from Pacific?
Eastern Time is 3 hours ahead of Pacific Time. The gap does not change during the year.
What is 10 PM Pacific in Eastern time?
10:00 PM Pacific is 1:00 AM Eastern on the next day.
Does PST change to PDT?
Yes. Pacific Time uses PST in winter and PDT, one hour later, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Eastern Time changes on the same dates, so the 3 hour gap stays the same.