Forex Trading Hours: When Does the Market Open and Close?
The forex market trades 24 hours a day, 5 days a week — from Sunday 5:00 PM EST to Friday 5:00 PM EST. But not all hours offer the same opportunities.
Market Open and Close Times
The week begins with the Sydney open and closes with the New York close:
| Market | Open (UTC) | Close (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 21:00 Sunday | 06:00 Friday |
| Tokyo | 23:00 Sunday | 08:00 Friday |
| London | 07:00 Monday | 16:00 Friday |
| New York | 12:00 Monday | 21:00 Friday |
In Your Local Timezone
Use our live forex session calculator to see exact open and close times converted to your local timezone — no manual conversion needed.
Best Times to Trade by Region
Europe (London Session)
- Local time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (London)
- Best pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP
- Why: Highest liquidity window of the day
North America (New York Session)
- Local time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (New York)
- Best pairs: USD/CAD, XAU/USD, EUR/USD
- Why: News-driven volatility during US economic releases
Asia (Tokyo/Sydney Sessions)
- Local time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Tokyo)
- Best pairs: USD/JPY, AUD/USD, NZD/USD
- Why: Clean technical moves with fewer false breakouts
The Most Liquid Hours
The London–New York overlap (12:00–16:00 UTC) is widely considered the best trading window:
- Tightest spreads (EUR/USD often 0.5–0.8 pips)
- Highest daily volume
- Strong trends during US data releases
- Best for day traders and scalpers
The Sydney–Tokyo overlap (00:00–06:00 UTC during DST) offers:
- Lower volatility but cleaner trends on JPY and AUD pairs
- Good for traders in Asia and Oceania timezones
- Less algorithmic noise than London hours
When to Avoid Trading
- Friday 5:00 PM EST to Sunday 5:00 PM EST — The market is closed. Avoid holding positions over the weekend gap
- Major holiday weeks — Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving week have thin liquidity
- Between session closes — Brief gaps between New York close and Sydney open on Friday/Monday
- During low-impact Asian hours — Unless trading JPY or AUD-specific strategies
Timezone Conversion Guide
| You Are In | Sydney Open | London Open | NY Open | NY Close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (EST) | 4:00 PM | 2:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| London (GMT) | 9:00 PM | 7:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Tokyo (JST) | 6:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 6:00 AM |
| Sydney (AEDT) | 8:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
Use our session calculator to see current session status and upcoming opens in your exact timezone. Track which hours perform best for your strategy with our trading journal.