Best Time to Schedule Meetings Across US Time Zones

Scheduling meetings across US time zones is one of the most common challenges for American businesses. Whether you're coordinating between New York and Los Angeles, or managing a team spread across all four major US time zones, finding the right meeting time requires more than just basic time zone conversion.

Understanding US Time Zones

The United States spans four primary time zones (excluding Alaska and Hawaii):

• Eastern Time (ET): UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT)
• Central Time (CT): UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-4 (CDT)
• Mountain Time (MT): UTC-7 (MST) / UTC-6 (MDT)
• Pacific Time (PT): UTC-8 (PST) / UTC-7 (PDT)

The key challenge? Daylight Saving Time (DST) shifts these offsets by one hour from March to November, and not all states observe DST (Arizona and Hawaii don't).

Optimal Meeting Windows

For Two Time Zones

East Coast ↔ West Coast (3-hour difference)

• Best window: 11 AM ET / 8 AM PT to 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT
• Why: Both teams are in morning/early afternoon, avoiding early morning or late evening

Central ↔ Pacific (2-hour difference)

• Best window: 10 AM CT / 8 AM PT to 1 PM CT / 11 AM PT
• Why: Comfortable morning hours for both regions

For Three or More Time Zones

When coordinating across Eastern, Central, and Pacific:

• Best window: 11 AM ET / 10 AM CT / 8 AM PT to 1 PM ET / 12 PM CT / 10 AM PT
• Why: This 2-hour window ensures no one starts before 8 AM or ends after 1 PM local time

Pro tip: Use a timezone converter to visualize these windows in real-time and account for DST automatically.

Daylight Saving Time Considerations

DST creates scheduling headaches twice a year:

1. Spring Forward (March): Clocks move forward 1 hour

   • The 3-hour gap between ET and PT becomes 3 hours again (after briefly being 2 hours)
   • Meeting times shift, so double-check calendar invites

2. Fall Back (November): Clocks move back 1 hour

   • The gap changes again
   • Some meetings might accidentally be scheduled an hour off

Solution: Use a timezone tool that automatically accounts for DST changes and warns you when transitions are approaching.

Common Scheduling Mistakes

1. Forgetting DST Transitions

Scheduling a recurring meeting without accounting for DST means it will be off by an hour for half the year.

2. Assuming Everyone Observes DST

Arizona doesn't observe DST, so a meeting scheduled during DST months will be off for Arizona participants.

3. Not Considering Local Preferences

• West Coast teams often prefer earlier meetings (8-9 AM PT) to align with East Coast business hours
• East Coast teams may resist meetings after 4 PM ET to avoid late West Coast times

Practical Scheduling Tips

1. Use Visual Timezone Tools: A timezone converter shows all times side-by-side, making it easy to spot overlapping work hours.

2. Rotate Meeting Times: If you have recurring meetings, rotate times to share the burden of early/late hours across time zones.

3. Set Clear Expectations: When scheduling, always include times in both your local timezone and the other participants' timezones.

4. Leverage "Find Best Time" Features: Modern timezone tools can automatically identify optimal meeting windows based on working hours.

5. Save Common Configurations: If you frequently coordinate between the same cities, save those timezone groups for quick access.

Real-World Example

Scenario: You need to schedule a weekly team stand-up with participants in:

• New York (Eastern)
• Chicago (Central)
• Denver (Mountain)
• San Francisco (Pacific)

Solution:

1. Add all four cities to your timezone converter
2. Set working hours (typically 9 AM - 5 PM local time)
3. Use "Find Best Time" to identify overlapping windows
4. Result: 11 AM ET / 10 AM CT / 9 AM MT / 8 AM PT works perfectly

Conclusion

Scheduling across US time zones doesn't have to be complicated. With the right tools and understanding of DST, you can find meeting times that work for everyone. The key is using a visual timezone converter that handles DST automatically and shows you all times simultaneously.

For teams managing more complex operations—like contact centers with agents across multiple time zones—consider upgrading to a full workforce management platform that handles scheduling, attendance tracking, and compliance automatically.

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Ready to schedule your next cross-timezone meeting? Try Timezone Assistant, a free timezone converter that makes US time zone coordination effortless.