Offset
The time difference between Shanghai and Washington is 12 hours.
Shanghai (CST) is ahead of Washington (EDT).
CST: UTC+8
EDT: UTC-4
Washington is currently observing daylight saving time; Shanghai is not.
When to schedule
Standard business hours (9 AM–5 PM, Mon–Fri) in Shanghai and Washington don't overlap on the same weekday. Washington is 12 hours behind Shanghai.
With some flexibility, there’s a workable window outside standard hours:
- 7 PM–8 PM in Shanghai (7 AM–8 AM in Washington) — suggest 7:00 PM Shanghai (7:00 AM Washington).
This means an early start or late finish for one side, but it’s a reasonable slot for a one-off meeting.
This window may shift by an hour during daylight saving time.
Public holidays in 2026
National public holidays can affect availability — a counterpart is likely off work on their own holidays, so it's worth planning meetings and deadlines around them.
China
- New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
- Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)Tue, Feb 17
- Labour DayFri, May 1
- Dragon Boat FestivalFri, Jun 19
- Mid-Autumn FestivalFri, Sep 25
- National DayThu, Oct 1
United States
- New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. DayMon, Jan 19
- Presidents DayMon, Feb 16
- Memorial DayMon, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence DayFri, Jun 19
- Independence DayFri, Jul 3
- Labour DayMon, Sep 7
- Columbus DayMon, Oct 12
- Veterans DayWed, Nov 11
- Thanksgiving DayThu, Nov 26
- Christmas DayFri, Dec 25
About these zones
Shanghai uses China Standard Time (CST). To call China, dial +86.
Washington uses Eastern Time (EST, or EDT). To call United States, dial +1.
Washington is approximately 7,450 miles north of Shanghai.
Quick reference
Full 24-hour conversion table — tap any time to open it in the converter.
| Shanghai | Washington | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 am | 12:00 pm | -1 day |
| 1:00 am | 1:00 pm | -1 day |
| 2:00 am | 2:00 pm | -1 day |
| 3:00 am | 3:00 pm | -1 day |
| 4:00 am | 4:00 pm | -1 day |
| 5:00 am | 5:00 pm | -1 day |
| 6:00 am | 6:00 pm | -1 day |
| 7:00 am | 7:00 pm | -1 day |
| 8:00 am | 8:00 pm | -1 day |
| 9:00 am | 9:00 pm | -1 day |
| 10:00 am | 10:00 pm | -1 day |
| 11:00 am | 11:00 pm | -1 day |
| 12:00 pm | 12:00 am | Same day |
| 1:00 pm | 1:00 am | Same day |
| 2:00 pm | 2:00 am | Same day |
| 3:00 pm | 3:00 am | Same day |
| 4:00 pm | 4:00 am | Same day |
| 5:00 pm | 5:00 am | Same day |
| 6:00 pm | 6:00 am | Same day |
| 7:00 pm | 7:00 am | Same day |
| 8:00 pm | 8:00 am | Same day |
| 9:00 pm | 9:00 am | Same day |
| 10:00 pm | 10:00 am | Same day |
| 11:00 pm | 11:00 am | Same day |
Daylight saving time
Washington observes daylight saving time; Shanghai does not. The offset between the two zones changes when Washington transitions: on Sunday, November 1, 2026, clocks fall back from EDT to EST.
See the daylight saving time page for transition dates across every time zone.
Daylight today
- Sunrise
- 4:51 AM
- Sunset
- 6:56 PM
- Day length
- 14h 5m
- Sunrise
- 5:44 AM
- Sunset
- 8:31 PM
- Day length
- 14h 46m
Daylight overlap: 1h 12m — 5:44 PM–6:56 PM in Shanghai (5:44 AM–6:56 AM in Washington). Both locations are in daylight during this window.
Cities in these zones
Other cities in China Standard Time
Other cities in Eastern Time
Browse all cities to see the current local time anywhere.
Airports in these zones
Airports in China Standard Time
- PVG
- SHA
- PEK
- PKX
- SZX
- CAN
- FUO
- CTU
- TFU
- TSN
Airports in Eastern Time
- EWR
- HPN
- JFK
- LGA
- TEB
- ILG
- PHL
- TTN
- CLT
- USA
Related conversions
Common conversions
- What is 9:00 am Shanghai in Washington?
- 9:00 am Shanghai is 9:00 pm Washington, the previous day.
- What is 12:00 pm Shanghai in Washington?
- 12:00 pm Shanghai is 12:00 am Washington.
- What is 12:30 pm Shanghai in Washington?
- 12:30 pm Shanghai is 12:30 am Washington.
- What is 2:00 pm Shanghai in Washington?
- 2:00 pm Shanghai is 2:00 am Washington.
- What is 5:00 pm Shanghai in Washington?
- 5:00 pm Shanghai is 5:00 am Washington.
- What is 11:30 pm Shanghai in Washington?
- 11:30 pm Shanghai is 11:30 am Washington.