Understanding PST to EST Conversion
Time Zone Basics
Pacific Standard Time (PST) is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time (EST). This means when it's 3:00 PM in Los Angeles (PST), it's already 6:00 PM in New York (EST).
PST
EST
3 hour difference
Business Hours Overlap
PST (West Coast)
EST (East Coast)
9:00 AM
12:00 PM
10:00 AM
1:00 PM
11:00 AM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
6:00 PM
5:00 PM
8:00 PM
The standard business day (9 AM - 5 PM) in PST overlaps with EST for 5 hours, from 9 AM - 2 PM PST (12 PM - 5 PM EST).
Daylight Saving Time Considerations
Both PST and EST observe Daylight Saving Time, becoming PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) and EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). The 3-hour difference remains constant throughout the year since both regions change their clocks on the same dates.
DST Begins
Second Sunday in March
DST Ends
First Sunday in November
Major Cities in Each Time Zone
PST Cities
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Portland, OR
- Las Vegas, NV
- San Diego, CA
EST Cities
- New York, NY
- Washington, DC
- Boston, MA
- Miami, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Philadelphia, PA
Planning Meetings Across Time Zones
When scheduling meetings between PST and EST participants, consider these optimal times:
Morning in PST
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST)
Midday in Both
12:00 PM PST / 3:00 PM EST
3:00 PM PST
6:00 PM EST (After business hours in EST)