Eastern Time Zone Map: Which States and Cities Are on ET?

The Eastern Time Zone at a Glance

Eastern Time (ET) is the default business time reference for the US East Coast and eastern Canada. It switches between Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC−5) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC−4). The IANA zone America/New_York covers all US Eastern Time cities.

Clocks change on the second Sunday of March (spring forward to EDT) and the first Sunday of November (fall back to EST). In 2026: spring forward 8 March, fall back 1 November. In 2027: spring forward 14 March, fall back 7 November.

Full US States on Eastern Time

Seventeen US states and the District of Columbia are entirely on Eastern Time. No exceptions, no county splits.

Split States: Where Eastern Time Meets Central Time

Five states straddle the Eastern/Central boundary. The dividing line follows county lines, river courses, and decades-old local preference.

Florida's Panhandle: The Apalachicola River Divide

Most of Florida is Eastern Time. The panhandle west of the Apalachicola River is Central. Twelve counties in the western panhandle observe Central Time: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, Washington, Holmes, and Jackson. Panama City Beach and Pensacola are on Central Time.

Indiana's Time Zone Patchwork: Northwest and Southwest Corners

Most of Indiana is Eastern Time. Two corners are Central. The northwest corner (Lake County and Porter County, including Gary) and the southwest corner (the Evansville area) observe Central Time. Before 2006, Indiana was a patchwork of counties with different DST rules. That chaos ended, but the split remains.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula: The Four Central Time Counties

Most of Michigan is Eastern Time. Four Upper Peninsula counties bordering Wisconsin are Central: Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee. The rest of the Upper Peninsula and all of the Lower Peninsula are on Eastern Time.

Kentucky and Tennessee: The Eastern/Central Split

Kentucky splits roughly along a line from Louisville south. The western half of the state, including Bowling Green and Paducah, is Central. The eastern half, including Lexington and the Appalachian counties, is Eastern.

Tennessee splits along the Cumberland Plateau. The eastern third of the state, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Tri-Cities (Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport), is Eastern. Nashville and Memphis are Central.

Major US Cities on Eastern Time

US East Coast Megacities: New York, Boston, Washington DC

The Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington DC is entirely Eastern Time. New York City (population 8,804,190) is the most populous city in the zone. Philadelphia (1,573,916), Washington DC, and Boston are all on America/New_York.

Major US Cities by Region: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest

Detroit uses the separate IANA zone America/Detroit, which follows the same rules as America/New_York.

Canadian Provinces on Eastern Time: Ontario, Québec, and Nunavut

Three Canadian provinces and territories are on Eastern Time:

• Ontario: Most of the province, except the far northwest (west of Thunder Bay) which is Central.
• Québec: Most of the province, except the far eastern Gaspe region which observes Atlantic Time.
• Nunavut: The eastern part of the territory, including Iqaluit, is on Eastern Time (America/Iqaluit). The western part is Central, and the far east is Atlantic.

Canadian Cities on Eastern Time: Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa

America/Toronto covers most of Ontario and Québec. America/Montreal is a legacy zone that forwards to America/Toronto.

Caribbean and Latin American Locations on Eastern Time

Three Caribbean countries and one Central American country operate on Eastern Time, but with different DST rules.

Caribbean Cities: Kingston, Port-au-Prince, Panama City

Jamaica and Panama observe EST year-round. Haiti observes Eastern Time with DST. Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos) uses America/Grand_Turk and follows US DST rules.

Mexican Eastern Time: Cancún and the Riviera Maya

Cancún (population 888,797) and the entire state of Quintana Roo are on Eastern Time year-round. Cancún uses America/Cancun and does not observe DST.

Cancún's 2015 Switch from Central to Eastern Time

Cancún switched from Central to Eastern Time permanently in 2015. The move aligned the tourist zone with the US East Coast, making flight schedules and cruise ship operations simpler. There is no DST in Quintana Roo.

City-by-City Reference Table with IANA Zones

Split Cities: Where the Time Zone Boundary Runs Through

No major city is split by the Eastern/Central boundary. The line runs through rural counties and follows river courses. The closest to a split city is Panama City, Florida, which is entirely Central. The eastern suburbs of Panama City Beach are the last Central Time area before the Apalachicola River.

How to Check If a Specific City Observes Eastern Time

Three quick checks:

1. US states: If the state is in the full-states list above, it is entirely Eastern Time. If it is a split state (Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee), check the county.
2. Canada: Ontario and Québec (except far western Ontario and far eastern Québec) are Eastern Time. Nunavut is split; check the community.
3. International: Jamaica, Panama, Haiti, Cancún, and Grand Turk are Eastern Time. Everything else in the Caribbean is Atlantic Time (UTC−4) or Central Time (UTC−6).

For software, use the IANA zone America/New_York for all US Eastern Time cities. For Canada, use America/Toronto. For Jamaica, America/Jamaica. For Cancún, America/Cancun.