Time in Boston
United States
--:--
- Sunrise
- Sunset
- Daylight
The basics
- Time zone
- Eastern Time (EST)
- IANA zone
America/New_York- UTC offset
- UTC-04:00, when standard time applies
- Against Dublin
- 5 hours behind
- Daylight saving
- Observed
- Longest day
- 15h 17m of daylight, around the June solstice
- Shortest day
- 9h 04m of daylight
- Coordinates
- 42.33°N, 71.07°W
The next clock change in Boston
The clocks go back on Sunday 1 November 2026, when 02:00 becomes 01:00 and everyone gains an hour.
| Date | Clocks go | Local time becomes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 2026 | back | 02:00 → 01:00 |
| 14 Mar 2027 | forward | 02:00 → 03:00 |
| 7 Nov 2027 | back | 02:00 → 01:00 |
| 12 Mar 2028 | forward | 02:00 → 03:00 |
| 5 Nov 2028 | back | 02:00 → 01:00 |
When the gap with Ireland changes
Ireland and Boston do not change their clocks on the same date, so the difference between them is not fixed. It shifts like this:
| From | Boston is |
|---|---|
| Now | 5 hours behind Ireland |
| Sunday 25 October 2026 | 4 hours behind Ireland |
| Sunday 1 November 2026 | 5 hours behind Ireland |
| Sunday 14 March 2027 | 4 hours behind Ireland |
| Sunday 28 March 2027 | 5 hours behind Ireland |
| Sunday 31 October 2027 | 4 hours behind Ireland |
Questions
What time is it in Boston right now?
Boston keeps Eastern Time (UTC-04:00). Boston is 5 hours behind Ireland. The clock at the top of this page shows the current time, read live from your device.
How many hours ahead is Boston from Ireland?
Boston is currently 5 hours behind Ireland. That changes to 4 hours behind on Sunday 25 October 2026, when one of the two countries changes its clocks.
Does Boston change its clocks?
Yes. Boston observes daylight saving time. The clocks next go back on Sunday 1 November 2026, when 02:00 becomes 01:00.