Forex Market Hours in Eastern Time (ET): Sessions and Overlaps

The forex market runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, opening around 5:00 PM ET on Sunday and closing at 5:00 PM ET on Friday at most US brokers. The most active window for US traders is the London–New York overlap from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET. The quietest stretch is roughly 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET, when spreads tend to widen and liquidity thins.

How the Forex Trading Week Works in Eastern Time

Unlike a stock exchange, the currency market has no single central venue with an opening bell. Trading passes from one financial center to the next as the business day moves around the globe. If you are new to how this decentralized market functions, the overview on what forex trading is covers the basics.

For US retail traders, a few fixed reference points matter most:

• Weekly open: Sunday around 5:00 PM ET at most US brokers.
• Weekly close: Friday at 5:00 PM ET.
• Daily rollover: 5:00 PM ET is the usual rollover time. Positions held past it are charged or credited swap (overnight financing).
• Maintenance break: Many brokers pause trading briefly around 5:00 PM ET each day for server maintenance.

Because the market closes over the weekend while news can still break, price can open on Sunday at a noticeably different level from Friday’s close. These weekend gaps can jump past stop-loss levels, so holding positions over the weekend carries extra risk.

The Four Major Forex Sessions in ET and CT

Session hours are market conventions, not official opening times. The figures below are commonly published approximations, and different sources may shift them slightly. Central Time (CT) is one hour behind Eastern Time (ET minus 1 hour); the rest of this guide uses ET only.

Session	Eastern Time (ET)	Central Time (CT)
Sydney	5:00 PM – 2:00 AM	4:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Tokyo	7:00 PM – 4:00 AM	6:00 PM – 3:00 AM
London	3:00 AM – 12:00 PM	2:00 AM – 11:00 AM
New York	8:00 AM – 5:00 PM	7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sydney Session (5:00 PM – 2:00 AM ET)

Sydney opens the trading day right after the New York close. Early hours are often thin, and the Australian and New Zealand dollars tend to be the most relevant currencies here.

Tokyo Session (7:00 PM – 4:00 AM ET)

The Tokyo session brings Asian liquidity into the market. Japanese yen pairs, along with AUD and NZD pairs, are typically the focus during these evening and overnight hours in the US.

London Session (3:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET)

London is a major hub for currency trading, and its open often brings a pickup in activity. Euro, pound and Swiss franc pairs are commonly active during this session.

New York Session (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET)

The New York session overlaps with London in the morning and carries the release of major US economic data. Activity usually tapers off in the afternoon once London closes.

Session Overlaps: When Liquidity Peaks

When two sessions are open at the same time, more participants are active, which generally means tighter spreads and more price movement. The overlaps are where many traders concentrate their activity.

Overlap	Time (ET)	Pairs Often in Focus
London – New York	8:00 AM – 12:00 PM	EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF, USD/CAD
Sydney – Tokyo	7:00 PM – 2:00 AM	AUD, NZD and JPY pairs
Tokyo – London	About 3:00 AM – 4:00 AM	Short transition window

London–New York (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET)

This is the most liquid, most active window of the trading day. For US traders it also falls at a convenient time on the East Coast. Major dollar pairs such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF and USD/CAD typically see their heaviest volume here.

Sydney–Tokyo (7:00 PM – 2:00 AM ET)

The Asian overlap is the main window for Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar and Japanese yen pairs. It runs during the US evening, which can suit traders who have daytime commitments.

Tokyo–London (around 3:00 AM – 4:00 AM ET)

This overlap is brief, lasting only about an hour, and acts mainly as a handoff between Asian and European trading.

The Quietest Time to Trade

The stretch from the late New York afternoon to the Tokyo open, roughly 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET, is usually the quietest part of the day. Liquidity is thin, spreads tend to widen, and the daily rollover and broker maintenance break fall in this window. Orders placed during this period may fill at less favorable prices, so many traders avoid opening new positions then.

Daylight Saving Time: Why Session Times Shift

Daylight saving time (DST) is the most common source of confusion with forex hours, because the relevant countries change their clocks on different dates:

• United States: clocks change on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November.
• United Kingdom (London): clocks change on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October.
• Australia (Sydney): opposite season, with DST running from early October to early April.
• Japan (Tokyo): no DST.

Because these switches do not line up, for a few weeks each spring and fall the London and Sydney sessions start or end one hour earlier or later in ET than usual. The London–New York overlap, for example, can temporarily shift by an hour.

During those transition weeks, it is sensible to:

1. Check your broker’s server clock in the trading platform, since it may not match ET.
2. Confirm current session times with an online forex session clock.
3. Review any time-based alerts, automated strategies or scheduled orders so they still trigger when intended.

US Economic News Times to Watch

Scheduled US data releases can move the market sharply within seconds. The key times in ET are:

• 8:30 AM ET: major US releases, including Nonfarm Payrolls (usually the first Friday of the month), CPI, retail sales and weekly jobless claims (Thursdays).
• 2:00 PM ET: FOMC interest rate decisions.

Around these times, spreads can widen and price can gap, meaning orders may fill well away from the expected level. Note that the 8:30 AM releases land inside the London–New York overlap, adding volatility to an already busy window. To understand why these reports matter, see the guide to forex fundamental analysis.

Choosing the Right Session for Your Trading Style

The best time to trade depends on your schedule, strategy and the pairs you follow. Some practical guidelines for US traders:

• Day traders with day jobs: Many focus on the 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET window when possible, or set price alerts so they do not need to watch charts all day.
• Swing traders: End-of-day analysis after 5:00 PM ET, once the daily candle closes, fits well around a full-time job.
• Scalpers: Short-term strategies depend on tight spreads and deep liquidity, which makes the overlap the natural choice. The forex scalping strategy guide explains why spread costs matter so much for this style.

It also helps to match the pair to the session. EUR and GBP pairs are generally most active during London and New York hours, while AUD, NZD and JPY pairs tend to move more during Asian hours. Trading a pair outside its active session often means wider spreads and choppier, less predictable price action.

Whatever window you choose, write your trading hours, pairs and news rules into a plan. The guide on how to make a forex trading plan walks through the process, and risk management in forex covers position sizing and stop placement for volatile periods. Active hours offer more opportunity but also faster losses; no session guarantees profitable trades.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the forex market open on Sunday in Eastern Time?

At most US brokers, the forex trading week opens on Sunday around 5:00 PM ET and closes on Friday at 5:00 PM ET. Exact times can vary slightly by broker, so check your platform’s server clock.

What is the best time to trade forex in ET?

The London–New York overlap, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET, is generally the most liquid and active window, especially for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF and USD/CAD. Higher activity also means faster price swings, so risk controls remain essential.

Why do forex session times change in March and November?

The US, UK and Australia switch daylight saving time on different dates, and Japan does not use DST at all. For a few weeks each spring and fall, the London and Sydney sessions start or end one hour earlier or later in ET than usual.

Why are spreads wider around 5:00 PM ET?

The period from roughly 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET is the quietest of the day, with thin liquidity between the New York close and the Tokyo open. Daily rollover and many brokers’ maintenance breaks also occur around 5:00 PM ET, which can contribute to wider spreads.