UK Time vs USA
The USA spans four main mainland time zones, and the gap from the UK stays roughly constant year-round because both countries use daylight saving time.
United Kingdom
Eastern Time (New York)
Figures for Monday 26 October 2026. Live figures need JavaScript.
Time difference
The United States spans several time zones across the mainland, so "US time" depends on which region you mean. The four main zones are Eastern (New York), Central (Chicago), Mountain (Denver) and Pacific (Los Angeles), each an hour apart from its neighbour.
Because both the US and the UK observe daylight saving time, the gap between them stays roughly constant across the year: Eastern Time is normally 5 hours behind the UK, Central Time 6 hours behind, Mountain Time 7 hours behind, and Pacific Time 8 hours behind. Arizona and Hawaii do not observe daylight saving time, so their offset from the UK can shift by an hour for part of the year compared with the rest of their region.
Conversion guide
A quick reference for what common UK times are in the USA on Monday 26 October 2026. On dates after a clock change in either country the times can differ: check the clock-change note or use the converter.
UK clocks go back at 2am BST (01:00 UTC) on Sunday 25 October 2026. In New York (Eastern Time), 9am UK is 4am until Saturday 24 October 2026; 5am from Sunday 25 October 2026 to Saturday 31 October 2026; and 4am from Sunday 1 November 2026. In Chicago (Central Time), 9am UK is 3am until Saturday 24 October 2026; 4am from Sunday 25 October 2026 to Saturday 31 October 2026; and 3am from Sunday 1 November 2026. In Denver (Mountain Time), 9am UK is 2am until Saturday 24 October 2026; 3am from Sunday 25 October 2026 to Saturday 31 October 2026; and 2am from Sunday 1 November 2026. In Los Angeles (Pacific Time), 9am UK is 1am until Saturday 24 October 2026; 2am from Sunday 25 October 2026 to Saturday 31 October 2026; and 1am from Sunday 1 November 2026.
| UK time | Eastern Time (New York) | Central Time (Chicago) | Mountain Time (Denver) | Pacific Time (Los Angeles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9am | 5am | 4am | 3am | 2am |
| 12pm | 8am | 7am | 6am | 5am |
| 5pm | 1pm | 12pm | 11am | 10am |
| 9pm | 5pm | 4pm | 3pm | 2pm |
Best time to call
Mid-morning UK time, roughly 9am-11am, usually lands in the US East Coast's early morning and is workable for the East Coast, while UK early afternoon (around 1pm-3pm) tends to overlap better with Central and Mountain time business hours. For the US West Coast, UK late afternoon (around 4pm-6pm) usually matches West Coast late morning to early afternoon.
Daylight saving notes
Both the UK and most of the US move their clocks forward in spring and back in autumn, though not always on exactly the same date, which can briefly narrow or widen the usual gap by an hour for a week or two. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii are the main exceptions — they stay on standard time all year, so their difference from the UK changes when the UK's clocks move but theirs do not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between the UK and the USA?
It depends on the zone: Eastern Time is normally 5 hours behind the UK, Central Time 6 hours behind, Mountain Time 7 hours behind, and Pacific Time 8 hours behind. Both countries use daylight saving time, so these gaps stay roughly constant across most of the year.
Do Arizona and Hawaii follow the same time difference as the rest of the USA?
No. Arizona and Hawaii do not observe daylight saving time, so their gap from the UK can differ by an hour from neighbouring states for part of the year, when the UK has changed its clocks but Arizona or Hawaii has not.
What time is it in New York when it is 5pm in the UK?
When it is 5pm in the UK, it is normally 12pm (noon) in New York, since Eastern Time is typically 5 hours behind the UK.