Time Difference London – New York

The time difference between London and New York is 5 hours. New York City is located in the UTC-5 time zone, during summertime it becomes UTC-4. The United Kingdom is therefore ahead of New York. This means that when it is midnight in New York, it is already 05:00 in the UK.

Current local time in New York

A lot of people are interested in knowing what the time difference between the UK and New York is when they are planning a trip to New York. The New York time difference is depending also on daylight saving time but there is an easy way to calculate the time in New York. If you are asking yourself “What time is it in New York?” or “How late is it in New York now?”, you can just check your watch and subtract 5 hours. That means if your clock at home shows noon (12:00), then it is currently 7:00 in the morning in New York City. Keep in mind that the current time also depends on the summer and winter time.

New York time

When travelling to New York in the spring or autumn time, don’t forget to pay attention to daylight savings time or summer and winter time as many call it. If you have difficulty remembering how the clock is set, Americans have a saying that helps: “spring forward, fall back”.

Summertime in New York

New York officially changes to summer time earlier than the UK. In 2024 the clocks in New York will move forward on the night of Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of March. So, between 10th and 31st of March, there will be a 4 hour time difference instead of the normal 5 hours. In the UK clocks are turned forward one hour on the night of Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st of March. At which point the time difference will return to the normal 5 hours.

Wintertime in New York

Winter time, however, starts earlier in the United Kingdom than it does in New York. In the UK the clocks will be turned back by one hour on the night of Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of October. Consequently, between the 27th of October and the 3rd of November 2024, there will be a time difference of 4 hours instead of the normal 5 hours. In New York, clocks will go back one hour on the night of Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd of November.

Jet lag New York

Jet lag in New York can make your trip to the Big Apple unnecessarily difficult. Having jet lag means suffering from a disturbed Circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle). This usually happens when travelling to or from a different time zone, which differs a lot from your own. As the New York time zone differs by 5 hours from the United Kingdom, it can happen that you will suffer from jet lag during or after your New York trip.

Fighting jet lag

It’s better to try and prevent jet lag in advance than laboriously trying to fight jet lag in New York. Tips for preventing jet lag are for example adjusting to the New York time zone before you are flying and not drinking alcohol in the first few days of your trip. That means if you were planning to do the Rooftop Bar Tour, keep in mind not to schedule it for the first day but better a bit later.

In the days before your flight, stay up a bit later in the evening and shift your time of waking up, if possible. When you arrive in New York fight the urge to go early to bed, even when you are very tired from your flight. It’s best to keep to your regular bedtime schedule when you are in New York but of course, adjusted to the actual New York time. Try to spend as much time outside in daylight as possible in order to help your inner rhythm to adapt. Drink enough water during your flight so your body won’t be weakened further. Due to the time difference in New York, it can also happen that you will only experience jet lag back at home. Sleeping on the flight home or at least trying to do so, helps with not taking the jet lag back home. Try to take it easy for the first few days when you are back.

Going to New York soon and want to know about discounts and deals? Sign up to my bi-weekly newsletter below.