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# Futures Market Hours: When Futures Trade (ET, CT, PT)
- URL: https://www.flltlt.com/blog/futures-market-hours/
- Published: 2026-10-27T13:45:59.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-27T13:45:59.000Z
- Description: When futures open and close, the daily break, regular trading hours, the times that move markets and why your prop firm may have its own cutoff.
- Author: Fulltilt
- Tags: Futures Trading

**The short answer:** Most CME futures, including the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq-100 (NQ), crude oil (CL) and gold (GC), trade from 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday to 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, with a one-hour break every weekday from 5 to 6 p.m. Eastern. The busiest stretch for index futures is U.S. regular trading hours, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, when the stock market is open.

## Key takeaways

- Open: Sunday 6 p.m. ET. Close: Friday 5 p.m. ET.
- Daily break: 5 to 6 p.m. ET, Monday to Thursday.
- Regular trading hours for index futures: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
- Big scheduled moves often come at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET data releases.
- Holidays change the schedule. Check the CME holiday calendar.

## What are the trading hours for futures?

**Nearly around the clock on weekdays.** A futures "day" runs from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern the next afternoon, so the session that opens Sunday evening counts as Monday's trading day.

![One futures trading day in Eastern time: Asia session 6 PM to 3 AM, London 3 to 9:30 AM, U.S. regular hours 9:30 AM to 4 PM, close 4 to 5 PM, and a daily break 5 to 6 PM.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a0/84/a0847890-aa24-4d5e-b6dd-8a7b42022bb3/content/images/2026/10/futures-sessions.png)

|                               | Eastern          | Central          | Pacific          |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |
| Week opens (Sunday)           | 6:00 p.m.        | 5:00 p.m.        | 3:00 p.m.        |
| Daily break                   | 5–6 p.m.         | 4–5 p.m.         | 2–3 p.m.         |
| Regular hours (index futures) | 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. | 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. | 6:30 a.m.–1 p.m. |
| Week closes (Friday)          | 5:00 p.m.        | 4:00 p.m.        | 2:00 p.m.        |

CME sets hours in Central time, so these stay lined up with Eastern and Pacific through daylight saving changes. If you live somewhere that doesn't observe daylight saving, like most of Arizona, your local times shift by an hour twice a year.

## Do all futures have the same hours?

**The major CME index, energy, metals and Treasury futures follow the same Sunday-to-Friday schedule with a 5 p.m. ET break.** Some contracts, like agricultural futures, have shorter sessions. Always check the contract specs on CME's website or your platform.

## When is the best time to day trade futures?

**For index futures, the first one to two hours after 9:30 a.m. ET is usually the most active.** Volume and volatility are highest around the open, which is why strategies like the [opening range breakout](https://www.flltlt.com/blog/opening-range-breakout/) focus there. Midday, roughly 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET, is often slower and choppier. Activity picks up again into the 4 p.m. close.

## What times should futures traders watch?

| Time (ET)             | What happens                                                   |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 8:30 a.m.             | Many major U.S. economic reports, like jobs and inflation data |
| 9:30 a.m.             | U.S. stock market opens; index futures volume jumps            |
| 10:00 a.m.            | More economic reports                                          |
| 10:30 a.m. Wednesday  | Weekly U.S. crude oil inventory report (moves CL)              |
| 2:00 p.m. on Fed days | Federal Reserve rate decisions                                 |
| 4:00 p.m.             | U.S. stock market closes                                       |
| 5:00 p.m.             | Futures daily close and break                                  |

## Do prop firms have their own trading hours?

**Often, yes.** Many futures prop firms require you to be flat before a set time each afternoon, and some restrict trading around major news or on holidays. Their cutoff can be earlier than the exchange's. Check your firm's rules, because holding past its cutoff can count as a violation. See [how to pass a prop firm evaluation](https://www.flltlt.com/blog/how-to-pass-a-prop-firm-evaluation/).

> **From the desk** Indy trades MNQ futures and records results in points on [Day Trader Income](https://www.daytraderincome.com/). Nearly 24-hour markets don't mean 24-hour trading. Picking a fixed window and ignoring the rest of the day is one of the simplest ways to cut [overtrading](https://www.flltlt.com/blog/overtrading/).

## The bottom line

Futures open Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, break for an hour at 5 p.m. ET each weekday and close Friday at 5 p.m. ET. Index futures do most of their business from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Know the data release times, check holiday hours, and follow your prop firm's cutoff, which may be earlier than the exchange's.

## FAQ

### What time do futures open on Sunday?

Most CME futures, including ES, NQ, CL and GC, open at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

### Do futures trade 24 hours a day?

Nearly. Major CME futures trade from Sunday 6 p.m. to Friday 5 p.m. Eastern, with a one-hour break from 5 to 6 p.m. Eastern each weekday.

### What are regular trading hours for ES and NQ futures?

Regular trading hours for index futures match the U.S. stock market: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.

### What is the best time to trade futures?

For index futures, the first one to two hours after the 9:30 a.m. Eastern open are usually the most active.

### Are futures open on holidays?

Holiday schedules vary. CME often shortens or closes sessions on U.S. holidays, so check the CME holiday calendar.