The short answer

5am in Central European Time is 11pm in Eastern Daylight Time on the previous day.

Central European Time is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. It lands deep outside working hours in Eastern Daylight Time — see the best time to meet below for a friendlier slot.

Central European Time
5am
Eastern Daylight Time
11pm
previous day
Right now
9:20amCEST · UTC+02:00 · Tue, Jul 21
3:20amEDT · UTC-04:00 · Tue, Jul 21
Read across to convert
Central European Time
CEST · UTC+02:00
9:20am ☀
Eastern Daylight Time
EDT · UTC-04:00
3:20am ☾
Pinned5amCentral European Time=11pmEastern Daylight Time · Mon (previous day)
12amTue
6pmMon ·−1d
1am
7pmMon ·−1d
2am
8pmMon ·−1d
3am
9pmMon ·−1d
4am
10pmMon ·−1d
PINNED
5am
11pmMon ·−1d
6am
12amTue
7am
1am
8am
2am
NOW
9am
WORK
3am
10am
WORK
4am
11am
WORK
5am
12pm
WORK
6am
1pm
WORK
7am
2pm
WORK
8am
3pm
WORK
9am
WORK
4pm
WORK
10am
WORK
5pm
11am
WORK
6pm
12pm
WORK
7pm
1pm
WORK
8pm
2pm
WORK
9pm
3pm
WORK
10pm
4pm
WORK
11pm
5pm
daylightnightworking hoursoverlap
Best time to meet
Best for a call
Central European Time
3pm–5pm
=
Eastern Daylight Time
9am–11am
Popular conversions

Quick reference.

9amCentral European Time=3amEastern Daylight Time
12pmCentral European Time=6amEastern Daylight Time
3pmCentral European Time=9amEastern Daylight Time
5pmCentral European Time=11amEastern Daylight Time
9pmCentral European Time=3pmEastern Daylight Time
In context

What each side covers.

Central European Time
CEST · UTC+02:00
9:20am
Cities on this clock
Eastern Daylight Time
EDT · UTC-04:00
3:20am
Did you mean…? “EDT” is shared by several places. This page shows Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) — or switch to Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Frequently asked

Quick answers about converting between Central European Time and Eastern Daylight Time. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].

What is the time difference between Central European Time and Eastern Daylight Time?
Central European Time is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time right now. We always show the live, daylight-saving-correct difference, so this figure already accounts for whichever side is observing summer time today.
When it's 5am in Central European Time, what time is it in Eastern Daylight Time?
5am in Central European Time is 11pm in Eastern Daylight Time on the previous day. It lands deep outside working hours in Eastern Daylight Time — see the best time to meet below for a friendlier slot. Use the hour-by-hour table above to read any other time across.
What's the best time for a call between Central European Time and Eastern Daylight Time?
3pm–5pm in Central European Time lines up with 9am–11am in Eastern Daylight Time — both sides are inside a 9-to-5 working day.
Does this account for daylight saving time?
Yes. We track every clock change in both places, so the abbreviations you see — CEST and EDT — are the ones actually in effect right now, not a fixed all-year value. When either side changes its clocks, this page updates automatically.
Why is the date sometimes different on each side?
When two places are far enough apart, the same moment can fall on different calendar days. That is why some conversions are marked "previous day" or "next day" — it is the same instant in time, read off two clocks that crossed midnight at different points.