Boston is on standard time, UTC−5 (EST). On Sunday, March 14, 2027, clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−4.
Boston and your time
Boston at a glance
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Massachusetts |
| Time zone | America/New_York |
| Abbreviation now | EST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−5 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 14, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 14, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 42.36° N, 71.06° W |
Which time zone Boston uses
Under the America/New_York rules, Boston spends part of each year on UTC−5 (EST) and the rest on UTC−4 (EDT). The coming daylight saving period ends on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
The United States spans 6 offsets. Boston shares its time with the capital, Washington D.C.
Clock changes in Boston, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−4 |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−5 |
| Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−4 |
| Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−5 |
How far ahead or behind Boston is
Take 9:00 AM in Boston: the clock reads 2:00 PM in London, 1:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 6:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 5 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 3 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 2 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 9 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | 12 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 3 h |
The difference is not fixed for every city: where the January and July columns disagree, one side moves its clocks and the other does not, or both move on different dates.
Shared office hours is the part of a 9 AM to 5 PM local working day that both cities have in common. Weekends are not taken into account.
Sunrise, sunset and day length in Boston
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Day length in Boston runs from 9 hours 5 minutes at the December solstice to 15 hours 17 minutes at the June solstice. The latest sunset, at 8:25 PM, comes on June 26.
Daylight through the year in Boston
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:47 AM | 6:57 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:08 AM | 8:25 PM | 15 h 17 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 6:32 AM | 6:41 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:10 AM | 4:15 PM | 9 h 5 min |
Daylight saving time moves sunrise and sunset 1 hour later by the clock in summer, which is why the latest sunsets fall in the daylight saving months.
When the sun is highest in Boston
Boston lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 11:45 AM on standard time and 12:45 PM during daylight saving time, close to clock noon.
Cities near Boston
Every city below shares Boston’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell | 37 km (23 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Worcester | 62 km (39 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Providence | 66 km (41 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Manchester | 78 km (48 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| New Bedford | 81 km (50 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Springfield | 129 km (80 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Hartford | 150 km (93 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Waterbury | 187 km (116 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Other cities on America/New_York time
Same clock, same changes: these cities use America/New_York just like Boston.
- New York
- Philadelphia
- The Bronx
- Jacksonville
- Columbus
- Charlotte
- Washington D.C.
- Baltimore
- Atlanta
- Miami
- Raleigh
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Boston today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
More cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- The Bronx
- Dallas
- Jacksonville
- Fort Worth
All time zones and cities in the United States
Plan around the time in Boston
- Convert a time to or from Boston: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Boston to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Boston and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Boston in?
Boston uses the America/New_York time zone: UTC−5 (EST) in standard time and UTC−4 (EDT) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Boston?
The next change is on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−4. They go back again on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
What is the time difference between Boston and London?
Boston is 5 hours behind London for most of the year. From March 14 to March 27 and October 30 to November 7, the gap is 4 hours, because Boston and London change their clocks on different dates.
Is Boston on the same time as Washington D.C.?
Yes. Boston and Washington D.C. both use UTC−5 right now.
How long is the longest day in Boston?
About 15 hours 17 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 9 hours 5 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.