Best Time to Trade Forex: Best Hours and Days in Eastern Time (Real Data)
For US traders, the best time to trade forex is 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern Time, when the London and New York sessions overlap. In our measurement of almost three years of hourly data, EUR/USD moved a median 15 to 17 pips per hour in that window, against about 4 to 7 pips in the early evening. The best days are Wednesday and Thursday, and the quietest time of the whole week is the hour after the 5:00 PM ET daily rollover.
Most articles on this topic repeat the same rules of thumb. We wanted numbers, so we measured them. Below are the median price ranges of EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY for every hour of the day in Eastern Time and for every weekday, then what they mean for your trading schedule. How we measured is at the end.
The Best Hours to Trade Forex (ET)
The trading day splits into five blocks. Here is the median range per hour in each block:
| Time (ET) | What is open | EUR/USD | GBP/USD | USD/JPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Sydney, Tokyo (Asian session) | 6.7 pips | 8.1 pips | 19.4 pips |
| 2:00 – 8:00 AM | London morning | 11.1 pips | 14.7 pips | 20.3 pips |
| 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM | London + New York overlap | 15.3 pips | 19.2 pips | 26.8 pips |
| 12:00 – 5:00 PM | New York afternoon | 8.0 pips | 9.9 pips | 14.1 pips |
| 5:00 – 7:00 PM | Rollover, Sydney opening | 5.5 pips | 6.6 pips | 13.1 pips |
The pattern is the same on all three pairs:
- 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET is the busiest stretch of the day. These 4 hours are 17% of the day, but they produce about 27% of the EUR/USD and GBP/USD hourly movement in our data. Both of the world’s largest trading centers are open, and US data comes out at 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM ET.
- The London morning (2:00 to 8:00 AM ET) is the second-best window, with a peak around 3:00 AM ET when London opens. It suits early risers and traders of GBP and EUR pairs.
- The afternoon fades. Once London closes around noon ET, ranges drop by about half.
- 5:00 to 7:00 PM ET is the quietest time of the week. The daily rollover happens at 5:00 PM ET, banks reset positions and spreads widen. Avoid opening new trades then.
- USD/JPY is the exception in the evening. It has a second peak around 7:00 to 8:00 PM ET, when Tokyo opens, which makes it the most practical major pair for people who can only trade after work.
For the session times themselves and how they shift with daylight saving time, see forex market hours in Eastern Time, or keep the live forex market hours clock open.
Hour by hour
Median high-to-low range of each one-hour candle, in pips. The hour shown is the start of the candle.
| Hour (ET) | EUR/USD | GBP/USD | USD/JPY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 5.5 | 6.9 | 16.8 |
| 1:00 AM | 7.0 | 9.0 | 18.7 |
| 2:00 AM | 11.3 | 14.1 | 23.5 |
| 3:00 AM | 13.4 | 16.6 | 24.0 |
| 4:00 AM | 12.1 | 16.0 | 22.2 |
| 5:00 AM | 10.6 | 13.5 | 18.2 |
| 6:00 AM | 9.7 | 13.8 | 16.6 |
| 7:00 AM | 11.1 | 14.3 | 19.4 |
| 8:00 AM | 15.5 | 19.6 | 28.7 |
| 9:00 AM | 15.3 | 19.0 | 27.6 |
| 10:00 AM | 16.9 | 21.6 | 29.4 |
| 11:00 AM | 13.4 | 17.1 | 22.5 |
| 12:00 PM | 10.5 | 13.4 | 17.3 |
| 1:00 PM | 8.8 | 11.7 | 15.8 |
| 2:00 PM | 8.1 | 10.1 | 14.5 |
| 3:00 PM | 6.9 | 8.4 | 12.5 |
| 4:00 PM | 5.4 | 7.0 | 12.4 |
| 5:00 PM | 6.8 | 8.2 | 11.9 |
| 6:00 PM | 4.2 | 5.5 | 15.0 |
| 7:00 PM | 5.5 | 6.9 | 20.7 |
| 8:00 PM | 8.0 | 9.2 | 26.1 |
| 9:00 PM | 8.0 | 9.5 | 22.7 |
| 10:00 PM | 6.7 | 8.0 | 17.7 |
| 11:00 PM | 5.8 | 7.3 | 16.5 |
The Best Days of the Week to Trade Forex
Median daily range per weekday, using the forex day that runs from 5:00 PM ET to 5:00 PM ET:
| Day | EUR/USD | GBP/USD | USD/JPY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 56 pips | 68 pips | 100 pips |
| Tuesday | 56 pips | 71 pips | 102 pips |
| Wednesday | 63 pips | 81 pips | 117 pips |
| Thursday | 62 pips | 81 pips | 116 pips |
| Friday | 59 pips | 72 pips | 113 pips |
- Wednesday and Thursday are the best days on all three pairs, with ranges about 10–20% larger than Monday’s. They often carry the main data and central bank events of the week, including FOMC decisions on Wednesdays at 2:00 PM ET.
- Monday is the quietest day. Its morning sessions are also slightly calmer than on Tuesday to Thursday.
- Friday is busier than its reputation. Fridays rank in the middle, and in our data Friday afternoons (12:00 to 5:00 PM ET) moved almost exactly as much as Tuesday-to-Thursday afternoons: 8.0 vs 8.1 pips per hour on EUR/USD. The real Friday risk is the 5:00 PM close: positions held over the weekend can gap when the market reopens on Sunday at 5:00 PM ET.
- The first Friday of the month brings the US jobs report at 8:30 AM ET, one of the most volatile releases of the month. See NFP and how it moves forex.
The Best Time for Your Trading Style
| Your situation | Best window (ET) | Pairs to focus on |
|---|---|---|
| Scalper or short-term day trader | 8:00 – 11:00 AM | EUR/USD, GBP/USD |
| Early riser before work | 3:00 – 7:00 AM | GBP/USD, EUR/USD, EUR/GBP |
| Trading after work (evening) | 7:00 – 10:00 PM | USD/JPY, AUD/USD |
| Swing trader | Check once a day, ideally after the New York close (5:00 PM) | Any major pair |
Short-term traders need movement: a 10-pip target is hard to reach in an hour that usually moves 5 pips. Swing traders hold positions for days, so the hour matters less than avoiding entries during news spikes and at the 5:00 PM rollover. Whatever your window, write it into your trading plan and trade only then.
When Not to Trade
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM ET: rollover, the widest spreads of the day. See why spreads widen.
- The minutes around major releases, such as 8:30 AM ET data and 2:00 PM ET FOMC decisions, unless you trade news on purpose. Prices can jump past stops.
- Market holidays, when one of the big centers is closed and liquidity is thin. Check the forex holiday calendar.
- Late Friday, if you don’t want to hold positions over the weekend gap.
How We Measured
We used Yahoo Finance hourly candles for EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY from late January 2024 to November 13, 2026: about 17,000 candles and 725 trading days per pair. Times were converted to US Eastern Time, including daylight saving changes. For each candle we took the high minus the low in pips. We report the median, so a few extreme news candles don’t distort the results, and we removed the top 0.1% of candles as likely bad ticks. Yahoo prices are indicative quotes, not one broker’s feed, so your broker’s exact numbers will differ a little, but the pattern by hour and by day is consistent across all three pairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to trade forex in EST?
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET, during the London–New York overlap. EUR/USD’s median hourly range in that window was 15 to 17 pips in our data, the highest of the day. The next best window is the London morning, from about 2:00 to 8:00 AM ET.
What is the best day to trade forex?
Wednesday and Thursday. In our data their median daily ranges were the largest of the week on EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY. Monday was the quietest day.
Is Friday a bad day to trade forex?
Not by movement: Fridays ranked in the middle, and Friday afternoons moved as much as midweek afternoons. The main risk is holding trades over the weekend, when the market is closed and can open at a different price on Sunday.
Can I trade forex at night in the US?
Yes. The market reopens at 5:00 PM ET on Sunday and runs around the clock until 5:00 PM ET Friday. US evenings cover the Sydney and Tokyo sessions. Ranges on EUR/USD are small then, but USD/JPY and AUD/USD are more active, especially after 7:00 PM ET.
What time should I avoid trading forex?
Around 5:00 to 6:00 PM ET, when the daily rollover widens spreads and liquidity is lowest, plus the minutes around major news releases and on market holidays.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Past price ranges do not guarantee future market behavior. Forex trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The CFTC notes that most retail forex customers lose money. Only trade with money you can afford to lose.
Sources
- Federal Reserve, FOMC meeting calendars and statements (statements released at 2:00 PM ET).
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation release schedule (8:30 AM ET).
- CFTC, Customer Advisory: Eight Things You Should Know Before Trading Forex (PDF).
- Price data: Yahoo Finance hourly quotes, January 2024 – November 2026, analysed by Be4TradingForex.
Keep learning