What is the normal time difference between London and Washington DC?

London is usually 5 hours ahead of Washington DC. London observes GMT (UTC+0) in winter and BST (UTC+1) in summer; Washington DC observes EST (UTC-5) in winter and EDT (UTC-4) in summer. Both cities shift clocks in spring and autumn, keeping the gap at 5 hours for most of the year.

Does Washington DC share a time zone with New York?

Yes. Washington DC and New York both observe Eastern Time (America/New_York) — EST (UTC-5) in winter and EDT (UTC-4) in summer. The time in Washington DC is always identical to New York time.

When is the time difference only 4 hours?

There are two brief windows each year when the US and UK change their clocks on different weekends. During those windows the gap shrinks to 4 hours. This tool shows the real offset live so you always have the correct number.

When does the UK change its clocks?

The UK moves clocks forward on the last Sunday in March at 01:00 GMT (becoming BST, UTC+1) and back on the last Sunday in October at 02:00 BST (returning to GMT, UTC+0).

When does Washington DC (US East Coast) change its clocks?

The US shifts clocks forward on the second Sunday in March at 02:00 EST (becoming EDT, UTC-4) and back on the first Sunday in November at 02:00 EDT (returning to EST, UTC-5).

What are good meeting times for both London and Washington DC?

The best overlap is 14:00–18:00 London time (09:00–13:00 Washington DC time during the standard 5-hour offset). The meeting overlap finder on this page highlights those windows automatically.

Is this tool accurate for scheduling?

Yes. It uses the IANA timezone database embedded in your browser — the same source used by operating systems and calendar apps worldwide. Accuracy depends on your device clock being synchronized via NTP, which most devices do automatically.

Time Difference: London to Washington DC

See the current time in London and Washington DC side by side, with the exact hour offset and a business-hours overlap finder, updated live every second.

London, United Kingdom

--:--:--

GMT UTC+0

Washington DC, United States

--:--:--

EST UTC-5

Current Offset

+5 hours

London is 5 hours ahead of Washington DC

Meeting Overlap Finder

Business hours (09:00–18:00) highlighted — best overlap shaded

London	Washington DC	Status

Convert London Time to Washington DC Time

Based on the current offset — updates automatically

London	Washington DC

Summary

This tool displays the live current time in both London (Europe/London — GMT in winter, BST in summer) and Washington DC (America/New_York — EST in winter, EDT in summer) side by side. The exact offset is calculated automatically and adjusts whenever either city transitions for Daylight Saving Time. Use it to schedule transatlantic calls, coordinate with US government contacts, or plan meetings between the UK and the US capital.

How it works

Your browser reads the current moment from your device clock.
It converts that moment to Europe/London time using the IANA timezone database built into modern browsers.
The same moment is converted to America/New_York time, which Washington DC observes.
The UTC offsets of both cities are compared to calculate the exact hour difference.
All three values — London time, Washington DC time, and the offset — refresh every second.
DST transitions for both cities are handled automatically, so the offset switches correctly each spring and autumn.

Use cases

Scheduling calls between London offices and Washington DC agencies.
Coordinating with US government or embassy contacts from the UK.
Planning transatlantic travel between the UK and the US capital.
Remote teams aligning daily standups across London and Washington DC.
Finding overlapping business hours for UK-US capital meetings.
Verifying whether both cities currently observe daylight saving time.
Journalists checking live US press briefing times from London.
Students and teachers arranging online lessons across the Atlantic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu