Time zone
EST / EDT — the standard and daylight abbreviations for Boston.
Current local time
Current Time in Boston
Check the current time in Boston, Massachusetts on the US East Coast, including Eastern Time offset, daylight saving dates, and UTC conversion at a glance.
02:13:14
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Eastern Daylight Time — UTC-4
Boston time zone at a glance
The key facts for Boston, United States, and how its clock relates to UTC.
About time in Boston
Boston runs on Eastern Time, the same clock used by New York and the rest of the US East Coast. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, the city switches to Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4), then falls back to Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) for the winter. As a major financial and academic hub, Boston shares its business hours with Wall Street, so markets and universities here open on the same Eastern schedule. When it is noon in Boston during summer, it is 5 p.m. in London.
Boston changes its clocks for daylight saving time, so its exact UTC offset depends on the season (UTC-5 (UTC-4 in summer)). The live clock above reads Boston's local time directly from the IANA time zone database in your browser, so it stays accurate through daylight-saving transitions without any manual adjustment. To plan a call or convert a specific moment, use the timezone converter or meeting planner linked below.
Frequently asked questions about Boston time
What time zone is Boston in?
Boston is in the Eastern Time Zone. It observes Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) in winter and Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) during daylight saving.
Is Boston in the same time zone as New York?
Yes. Boston and New York both use Eastern Time, so the local clock reads exactly the same in both cities year round.
Does Boston observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Boston moves clocks forward one hour on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.
Current time in other cities
Compare Boston with other major world clocks.
New York Current local time in New York, United States (UTC-5 (UTC-4 in summer)). Los Angeles Current local time in Los Angeles, United States (UTC-8 (UTC-7 in summer)). Chicago Current local time in Chicago, United States (UTC-6 (UTC-5 in summer)). Houston Current local time in Houston, United States (UTC-6 (UTC-5 in summer)). Phoenix Current local time in Phoenix, United States (UTC-7 (no DST)). Denver Current local time in Denver, United States (UTC-7 (UTC-6 in summer)).
Time tools for Boston
Learn about time zones
Background guides that explain how Boston's clock relates to the rest of the world.