EST vs MST Difference

The United States is divided into four standard time zones, namely CST; EST; MST; and PST. Here, we will be discussing the key difference between EST and MST or the various aspects of EST vs MST, their conversions etc.

Time Zones

Before venturing into a discussion on EST vs MST, let’s check out what are the time zones in the US.

• Broadly speaking, the four major time zones in the US are the Pacific Time or PT; the Mountain Time or MT, the Central Time or CT and the Eastern Time or ET.
• However, according to the law, there are 9 time zones in the country.
• Most of the states in the United States make use of Daylight Saving Time or DST as well.
• EST (Eastern Standard Time) changes to EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), CST to CDT and so on whenever daylight saving is in operation.

Related: What is the Difference Between EST and EDT

What is Eastern Standard Time (EST)

• Eastern Standard time is five hours behind UTC or Coordinated Universal Time.
• EST is in use in North America, the Caribbean and in Central America.
• The zone falls along the east coast of North America.
• It is known as EST during winter, when standard time is observed and termed as Eastern Daylight Time or EDT when daylight saving time is followed during spring and summer seasons.

What is Mountain Standard Time (MST)

This is another time zone observed in the US and in Canada, and it stands for Mountain Standard Time.

• It is termed as Mountain Standard time, because the Rocky Mountains range from the north west of Canada to the United states located almost wholly in this time zone.

Note: The largest city located in this MST zone is Phoenix and the next is Denver.

• MST is 7 hours behind UTC or Coordinated Universal Time.
• Most of the territories falling under MST are located in North America. The states running through this time zone are Arizona; Colorado; Kansas; Montana; New Mexico; Texas among others.

• It passes through Canada and Mexico in the north and south respectively.
• It is also called by other names, such as MT or Mountain Time; NAMST or North American Mountain Standard Time. It becomes MDT when daylight saving time is followed.

Check Out: Difference Between GMT and BST

EST vs MST Difference

Since the earth is a sphere and rotates on its axis, different places have varying time zones. This means that if one place has night, another could be having day. Let’s see the difference between EST and MST.

• There are 24 major time zones based on Coordinated Universal Time or GMT, Greenwich Mean Time.

Time zones are adjusted from standard time to daylight savings time with the change in seasons. It is usually the standard time plus one hour.

• The eastern coast of North America has the EST during winter and EDT during the summer. (EDT is Eastern Daylight Time implementing the daylight savings time)
• In addition, North America also has an MST or Mountain Standard Time, which changes to MDT or Mountain Daylight Time during the daylight savings time.
• MST is calculated 6-or seven-hours minus of UTC. It is one hour in front of the Pacific Time Zone, and an hour behind the Central Time Zone.
• On the other hand, EST is 4 to 5 hours minus of UTC.
• EST is the official time used in the US, because the capital and the biggest city, New York are located in this time zone.

Also Read: Difference Between Eastern Time and Pacific Time

Difference Between EST and MST

If you plan on making a call between an MST zone and an EST zone, you have to consider the difference in time between these zones.

• MST is 2 hours behind EST. Also, naturally, Mountain Daylight Time is two hours behind Eastern Daylight Time.

Tip: This means that if it is 12.30 pm in MDT, it is 2.30 pm EDT.

• MST is based on the 105th Meridian on the west of Greenwich Observatory, whereas EST is based on the 75th meridian west of it.

If you are living in an MST zone, it would be most convenient to call parties between the times of 9 am to 4 pm in the evening for a conference or a meeting. In case of EST zones, it will be working times between 11 am to 6 pm.

See: Difference Between East Coast and West Coast: East Coast vs West Coast

Wrap Up – Eastern Standard Time Vs Mountain Standard Time

So, the essential difference between MST and EST is that MST is UTC-7 or UTC-6, while EST is UTC-5 or UTC-4. The de facto time of the United States is the EST, as the capital of the country is located in this time zone, whereas MST is not.

States like New York and New Jersey as well as Connecticut observe the EST, whereas states like Arizona, Kansas and Texas observe the MST.