Time Difference Australia – New York

The time difference between Australia and New York is 12 to 15 hours. New York City is located in the UTC-5 time zone, during summertime it becomes UTC-4. Australia is ahead of New York. This means that when it is midnight in New York, it is already 12:00 to 16:00 (depending on the state) in Australia.

Current local time in New York

A lot of people are interested in knowing what the time difference between Australia and New York is when they are planning a trip to New York. The New York time difference is depending also on daylight saving time and the state. However, there is an easy way to calculate the time in New York. If you are asking yourself “What time is it in New York?” or “How late is it in New York now?”, you can just check your watch and add between 12 to 15 hours depending on the state you currently live in. Keep in mind that the current time also depends on the summer and wintertime.

New York time

When travelling to New York in the spring or autumn time, don’t forget to pay attention to daylight savings time or summer and wintertime as many call it. If you have difficulty remembering how the clock is set, Americans have a saying that helps: “spring forward, fall back”.

Summertime in New York

New York changes to summertime earlier than Australia. In 2025 the clocks in New York will move forward on the night of Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 March. States observing daylight savings time in Australia will turn their clock back one hour on the night, bridging Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April. This means between 9 March and 5 April, there will be a time difference of 12 to 15 hours. From April 6th onwards, the time difference will be 12 to 14 hours.

Wintertime in New York

Wintertime, however, starts at a different time in New York. In Australia where daylight savings time is observed, the clocks are moved forward one hour on the night bridging Saturday 4 October and Sunday 5 October. In New York, clocks will go back one hour on the night of Saturday the 2nd and Sunday 3 November. Consequently, between 6 October and 1 November 2025, there will be a time difference of 12 to 15 hours. From the 2nd of November onwards, the time difference will be 13 to 16 hours

From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in April: a difference of 12 to 15 hours
From the first Sunday in April to the first Sunday in October: a difference of 12 to 14 hours
From the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November: a difference of 12 to 15 hours
From the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March: a difference of 13 to 16 hours

Jet lag New York

Jet lag in New York can make your trip to the Big Apple unnecessarily difficult. Having jet lag means suffering from a disturbed Circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle). This usually happens when travelling to or from a different time zone, which differs a lot from your own. As the New York time zone differs by 12 to 15 hours from Australia, it can happen that you will suffer from jet lag during or after your New York trip.

Fighting jet lag

It’s better to try and prevent jet lag in advance than laboriously trying to fight jet lag in New York. Tips for preventing jet lag are for example adjusting to the New York time zone before you are flying and not drinking alcohol in the first few days of your trip. That means if you were planning to do the Rooftop Bar Tour, keep in mind not to schedule it for the first day but better a bit later.

In the days before your flight, stay up a bit later in the evening and shift your time of waking up, if possible. When you arrive in New York fight the urge to go early to bed, even when you are very tired from your flight. It’s best to keep to your regular bedtime schedule when you are in New York but of course, adjusted to the actual New York time. Try to spend as much time outside in daylight as possible in order to help your inner rhythm to adapt. Drink enough water during your flight so your body won’t be weakened further. Due to the time difference in New York, it can also happen that you will only experience jet lag back at home. Sleeping on the flight home or at least trying to do so, helps with not taking the jet lag back home. Try to take it easy for the first few days when you are back.