Your Complete Guide to Stock Market Hours Across U.S. Time Zones

When Does the Market Open? Time Zones Breakdown

The U.S. stock market operates under a consistent schedule across all major exchanges, but the opening time shifts depending on your location. Here’s what traders need to know:

Regular Trading Hours (Monday-Friday):

• Eastern Time (ET): 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
• Central Time (CT): 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
• Mountain Time (MT): 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM
• Pacific Time (PT): 6:30 AM – 1:00 PM
• Alaska Time (AKT): 5:30 AM – 12:00 PM
• Hawaii-Aleutian Time (HT): 3:30 AM – 10:00 AM

For West Coast traders asking “when does the market open Pacific time,” the answer is simple: 6:30 AM PT. This early start time means Pacific-based investors need to plan their morning around pre-dawn trading activity if they want to catch the market’s opening momentum.

Extended Trading Sessions Beyond Regular Hours

The stock market doesn’t start at 9:30 AM ET and end at 4:00 PM ET—there’s more to the story.

Pre-Market Trading runs from 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET (or 1:00 AM to 6:30 AM PT for Pacific traders). This early session allows investors to place trades before the official open, though with notably lower trading volume and wider bid-ask spreads.

After-Hours Trading operates from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET (1:00 PM to 5:00 PM PT), handled through electronic communication networks (ECNs). While this extends your trading window, it comes with the same liquidity challenges as premarket activity.

Both extended sessions carry higher volatility and execution risks compared to regular market hours, making them better suited for experienced traders familiar with these dynamics.

What Happens When You Trade Outside Regular Hours?

Placing an order when the market is closed doesn’t mean it vanishes. Instead, your order typically queues until the next trading session opens. However, if your broker offers premarket or after-hours access, execution becomes possible—but with important caveats.

Orders placed during extended hours may face:

• Wider spreads between bid and ask prices
• Lower liquidity and harder-to-fill positions
• Higher transaction costs
• Limited security availability
• Potential gaps between your desired price and actual execution

Unaware traders often face frustration when orders don’t fill as expected during these sessions. Understanding your specific broker’s policies and staying alert to market holidays can prevent costly mistakes.

Bond Markets Keep Different Hours

While stock exchanges follow strict schedules, the bond market operates under slightly looser rules. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sets bond market hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET (5:00 AM to 2:00 PM PT).

However, bond markets close early on certain days—typically 2:00 PM ET before major holidays. This flexibility in over-the-counter (OTC) trading means bond traders often enjoy extended opportunities compared to stock traders, though holiday closures remain aligned with stock market schedules.

2025 Stock Market Holiday Schedule

The NYSE and Nasdaq close for these federal holidays:

Full Closures:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• National Day of Mourning (January 9)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 20)
• Presidents’ Day (February 17)
• Good Friday (April 18)
• Memorial Day (May 26)
• Juneteenth (June 19)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (September 1)
• Thanksgiving (November 27)
• Christmas (December 25)

Half-Days (Close at 1:00 PM ET):

• July 3 (day before Independence Day)
• November 28 (day after Thanksgiving)
• December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Interestingly, the market stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day despite their federal holiday status, since financial institutions typically operate normally on these days.

When Market Closures Go Unplanned

The schedule above covers routine scenarios, but unexpected events can disrupt everything. Historical unplanned closures include:

• September 11, 2001: Four-day closure following terrorist attacks
• 2012 Hurricane Sandy: Two-day shutdown due to severe weather impacts on NYC infrastructure
• July 2015: Multi-hour halt due to technical glitches at major exchanges
• 1914 World War I Crisis: Nearly four-month closure—the longest in U.S. history
• 2020 COVID Volatility: Multiple circuit breaker triggers halted trading temporarily

Circuit Breakers: Automatic Market Safeguards

When volatility spikes dangerously, circuit breakers kick in to pause trading automatically. The levels are:

• Level 1 (7% drop): 15-minute halt (doesn’t trigger after 3:25 PM ET)
• Level 2 (13% drop): 15-minute halt (doesn’t trigger after 3:25 PM ET)
• Level 3 (20% drop): Trading suspended for remainder of day

These mechanisms protect market integrity during panic-selling periods, giving traders time to reassess positions without total market chaos.

Strategic Timing: The Trader’s Edge

Knowing when the market opens and closes across different time zones isn’t just trivia—it’s tactical intelligence. Traders can exploit pre-market momentum for early entry points, prepare for seasonal volatility around holidays, and avoid getting caught off-guard by unexpected closures.

West Coast traders asking “when does the market open Pacific time” gain a specific advantage: they can catch early movement as East Coast traders wake up, then reassess positions before the afternoon wind-down. Similarly, understanding bond market hours and half-day schedules lets sophisticated investors execute strategies that regular 9:30-to-4:00 traders might miss.

The key takeaway: market timing isn’t random. It’s a structured framework that rewards preparation and punishes complacency.