NZST to EST
Auckland is 18 hours ahead of New York in the northern winter, 16 hours ahead in the northern summer and 17 hours ahead in the weeks when only one side is on daylight time. 9:00 AM Monday in Auckland is 3:00 PM Sunday in New York in January and 5:00 PM Sunday in July.
Three gaps from two opposite schedules
New Zealand moves to daylight time (NZDT, UTC+13) on the last Sunday of September and back to NZST (UTC+12) on the first Sunday of April. New York switches on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November. That gives 18 hours from early November to mid-March, 17 hours from mid-March to early April, 16 hours from early April to late September, and 17 hours again from late September to early November.
All of mainland New Zealand, including Wellington and Christchurch, shares one clock. The Chatham Islands, 800 kilometers east, run 45 minutes ahead of the rest of the country.
First to the new day
Auckland is one of the first major cities to reach each new day, which is why its fireworks open global New Year coverage. Midnight in Auckland on New Year's Eve is 6:00 AM on December 31 in New York, so Americans can watch the new year arrive in New Zealand over breakfast.
Air New Zealand and Qantas fly nonstop between New York and Auckland, one of the longest routes in the world at around 17 to 18 hours. For calls, use the New York late afternoon: 4:00 to 6:00 PM Eastern is 10:00 AM to noon the next day in Auckland in winter, while in July 5:00 to 7:00 PM Eastern lines up with 9:00 to 11:00 AM. The Auckland to Pacific time page covers the West Coast.
Cities on these zones
NZST → EST quick reference
Every hour of the day, using today's offsets (daylight saving is applied automatically).
| NZST | EST |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 7:00 AM−1 |
| 1:00 AM | 8:00 AM−1 |
| 2:00 AM | 9:00 AM−1 |
| 3:00 AM | 10:00 AM−1 |
| 4:00 AM | 11:00 AM−1 |
| 5:00 AM | 12:00 PM−1 |
| 6:00 AM | 1:00 PM−1 |
| 7:00 AM | 2:00 PM−1 |
| 8:00 AM | 3:00 PM−1 |
| 9:00 AM | 4:00 PM−1 |
| 10:00 AM | 5:00 PM−1 |
| 11:00 AM | 6:00 PM−1 |
| NZST | EST |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | 7:00 PM−1 |
| 1:00 PM | 8:00 PM−1 |
| 2:00 PM | 9:00 PM−1 |
| 3:00 PM | 10:00 PM−1 |
| 4:00 PM | 11:00 PM−1 |
| 5:00 PM | 12:00 AM |
| 6:00 PM | 1:00 AM |
| 7:00 PM | 2:00 AM |
| 8:00 PM | 3:00 AM |
| 9:00 PM | 4:00 AM |
| 10:00 PM | 5:00 AM |
| 11:00 PM | 6:00 AM |
- Difference right now
- EST 17 hours behind NZST
- Shared office hours
- 6 PM–7 PM NZST
- Daylight saving
- Both zones shift their clocks
Clock changes this year
- Apr 5, 2026NZST: clocks go back, UTC+13 → UTC+12
- Sep 27, 2026NZST: clocks go forward, UTC+12 → UTC+13
- Mar 8, 2026EST: clocks go forward, UTC−5 → UTC−4
- Nov 1, 2026EST: clocks go back, UTC−4 → UTC−5
Other conversions with these zones
Frequently asked questions
- What time is New Year's midnight in Auckland in New York?
- 6:00 AM on December 31 Eastern time, 18 hours before New York's own midnight.
- Is New Zealand 16, 17 or 18 hours ahead of New York?
- All three at different times of year: 18 in the northern winter, 16 in the northern summer and 17 during the transition weeks in March–April and September–November.
- When does New Zealand use daylight saving time?
- From the last Sunday of September to the first Sunday of April, when clocks move from UTC+12 to UTC+13.
- Is there a nonstop flight between New York and Auckland?
- Yes. Air New Zealand and Qantas both operate nonstop flights of roughly 17 to 18 hours between New York JFK and Auckland.