How Many Hours Apart Are EST and CEST?
Time Zones4 min readApril 7, 2026

How Many Hours Apart Are EST and CEST?

How many hours apart are EST and CEST? Eastern Standard Time and Central European Summer Time have a 7-hour difference. Here's the breakdown and conversion table.

How Many Hours Apart Are EST and CEST?

EST (UTC-5) and CEST (UTC+2) are 7 hours apart.

Calculation: 2 - (-5) = 7 hours

EST vs CEST Conversion Table

ESTCEST
12:00 AM7:00 AM
3:00 AM10:00 AM
6:00 AM1:00 PM
9:00 AM4:00 PM
12:00 PM7:00 PM
3:00 PM10:00 PM
6:00 PM1:00 AM next day
9:00 PM4:00 AM next day

Best Overlap Windows

For scheduling between US East Coast and Central Europe during CEST season:

  • 9 AM EST = 4 PM CEST — end of European business day
  • 6 AM EST = 1 PM CEST — early morning for US, afternoon for Europe

When Is CEST Active?

CEST (Central European Summer Time) runs from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October.

EST vs CET (Winter)

When Europe is on CET (UTC+1) in winter, the gap with EST is 6 hours instead of 7.

Quick Answer

EST and CEST are 7 hours apart. When it's 9 AM in New York, it's 4 PM in Paris, Berlin, or Rome during summer.

#How many hours apart are EST and CEST?#EST#CEST#time difference#Europe