Forex Market Hours

The four major forex sessions

The forex market runs continuously from Sunday evening to Friday evening (UTC), but liquidity isn't constant. Trading volume rotates around four financial centers — Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York — each with roughly an 8-hour active window. Knowing where the volume is now tells you which pairs are most likely to move and which spreads will be tightest.

Why session overlaps matter

The single most important window for retail traders is the London & New York overlap (roughly 12:00–16:00 UTC during summer DST, 13:00–17:00 UTC during winter). It accounts for the majority of daily forex volume because both major liquidity hubs are open simultaneously. Spreads tighten, breakouts are more reliable, and economic releases out of the US tend to land mid-session.

The Tokyo–London handover (around 07:00–09:00 UTC) is a common time for European data releases to move EUR and GBP pairs. The Sydney–Tokyo overlap is quieter but it's the natural home for AUD, NZD, and JPY crosses.

FAQ

When does the forex market open?

The forex week opens Sunday at 22:00 UTC (21:00 UTC during DST) when the Sydney session begins. It runs continuously through the four major sessions until New York closes Friday at 22:00 UTC (21:00 UTC during DST).

What time is the London session?

The London session runs 08:00–17:00 local London time. In UTC that's 08:00–17:00 in winter (GMT) and 07:00–16:00 in summer (BST). It's the highest-volume session of the day on its own and dominates EUR, GBP, and CHF flows.

What time is the New York session?

The New York session runs 08:00–17:00 local New York time. In UTC that's 13:00–22:00 in winter (EST) and 12:00–21:00 in summer (EDT). Major US economic releases (NFP, CPI, FOMC) land during this window.

When is the busiest trading hour?

The London & New York overlap is the busiest. Roughly half of daily forex volume occurs in this 4-hour window. If you trade the major USD pairs and want maximum participation, this is your window.

Is the forex market open on weekends?

No. The market closes Friday at 22:00 UTC (or 21:00 UTC during DST) and reopens Sunday at 22:00 UTC. Saturday is fully closed. Some brokers display indicative weekend pricing but no execution happens.

Are market hours affected by daylight saving time?

Yes. Each financial center observes its own local DST schedule, so the UTC opening times shift by an hour twice a year. Sydney is on AEDT/AEST, Tokyo doesn't observe DST, London uses GMT/BST, and New York uses EST/EDT. This page accounts for DST automatically because it computes session times from each region's local timezone.

Why do spreads widen overnight?

Liquidity drops between sessions, especially during the gap between the New York close and the Sydney open (around 22:00–00:00 UTC). With fewer market makers active, spreads widen and stop-loss runs are more likely. Many retail traders avoid trading in this window.

Pair this with our position size calculator to size trades to your account, and our price alerts to be notified when key levels print during the high-volume sessions.