EST/EDT: An Overview
EST/EDT stands for Eastern Standard Time/Eastern Daylight Time. It is the time zone used in the eastern part of the United States and Canada. The time zone is five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). During Daylight Saving Time (DST), the time zone is four hours behind UTC.
History of EST/EDT
EST/EDT was first established in 1883 as part of the International Meridian Conference. The conference was held in Washington, D.C. and was attended by representatives from 25 countries. The purpose of the conference was to establish a universal time standard that could be used for international communication and travel. At the conference, it was decided that the world would be divided into 24 time zones, each one hour apart. EST/EDT was established as the fifth time zone from the Prime Meridian.
Comparison of EST/EDT to Other Time Zones
| Time Zone | Offset from UTC |
|---|---|
| EST/EDT | -5/-4 |
| CST/CDT | -6/-5 |
| MST/MDT | -7/-6 |
| PST/PDT | -8/-7 |
Summary
EST/EDT is the time zone used in the eastern part of the United States and Canada. It is five hours behind UTC during Standard Time and four hours behind UTC during Daylight Saving Time. It was established in 1883 as part of the International Meridian Conference. For more information about EST/EDT, visit the websites of the U.S. Naval Observatory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
See Also
- UTC
- DST
- GMT
- CST/CDT
- MST/MDT
- PST/PDT
- International Meridian Conference
- U.S. Naval Observatory
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Time Zone
