Best Time to Meet Between New York and London
Short answer: For most of the year, the working-hour overlap between New York and London is 09:00–12:00 New York time, which is 14:00–17:00 London time. That window shifts by an hour for a few weeks in March and October when the US and UK switch to or from daylight saving time on different dates.
New York and London are five hours apart for most of the year, briefly four hours apart during the DST transition windows. That five-hour gap leaves a narrow but reliable working-hour overlap. Picking a time inside that window keeps both sides inside normal hours; picking outside it forces one side to start early or stay late.
The standard 5-hour gap
For most of the year, London is five hours ahead of New York. When New York is at 09:00, London is at 14:00. When New York is at 12:00, London is at 17:00. That gives a three-hour window in which both cities are within the conventional 09:00–18:00 working day.
The DST mismatch weeks
The US starts daylight saving time on the second Sunday of March and ends it on the first Sunday of November. The UK starts British Summer Time on the last Sunday of March and ends it on the last Sunday of October. Because the start and end dates do not line up, there are two windows each year — one in March and one in late October — when the gap drops from five hours to four. During those weeks the overlap widens slightly: 09:00–13:00 New York lines up with 13:00–17:00 London.
Practical rules of thumb
- Default to a meeting between 09:00 and 12:00 New York time. Both sides are inside the working day.
- If the meeting needs more than three people, lean toward 10:00 or 11:00 New York time so it is comfortably mid-morning for one side and mid-afternoon for the other.
- Avoid 08:00 New York / 13:00 London — that is the lunch hour in London for many teams.
- Re-check around the second and third week of March and the last week of October. The gap is 4 hours during those windows.
Use the live tools
For the exact current offset and a draggable overlap view, open the New York → London converter linked below. The methodology page explains how the DST dates are derived from the IANA database.
Frequently asked
Is the New York–London time difference always 5 hours?
No. It is 5 hours for most of the year, but for roughly two weeks in March and one week in late October the difference is 4 hours, because the US starts and ends DST on different dates than the UK.
What is the latest meeting time that still fits inside London office hours?
12:00 New York time, which is 17:00 London time during the standard 5-hour gap. Anything later pushes London past the typical end of the working day.
What is the earliest reasonable time for New York?
09:00 New York time, which is 14:00 London time. Earlier than 09:00 New York puts London close to or after 18:00, which is past the working day.
Does this overlap change during the brief DST mismatch periods?
Yes. When the gap drops to 4 hours, the overlap widens slightly: 09:00–13:00 New York is 13:00–17:00 London. It is a short-lived effect each spring and autumn.