It really matters to accurately understand U.S. market hours. Especially when trading U.S. stocks from Korea, it’s easy to make mistakes due to time zone differences, but once you organize it, it becomes much easier to plan your trades.

The three main U.S. stock exchanges are NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX, and all three operate on the same schedule. Regular trading hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which corresponds to 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in Korean time. From mid-March to early November—when Daylight Saving Time is in effect—the schedule is moved forward by one hour. The pre-market runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and the after-hours session runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; it’s quite useful because you can take advantage of these times even outside U.S. market hours.

One important thing is that, unlike Korea, the U.S. has no price limit bands. Because it may be difficult to respond quickly during a sharp drop, it’s a good idea to check the news frequently outside U.S. market hours. Settlement is completed 2 business days later, and all trades are conducted in U.S. dollars.

As of 2026, U.S. stock market holidays are: New Year’s Day on January 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, Presidents’ Day on February 16, Good Friday on April 3, Memorial Day on May 25, Juneteenth on June 19, Independence Day on July 3, Labor Day on September 7, Thanksgiving on November 26, and Christmas on December 25. Also, on July 2, November 27, and December 24, the market closes early at 1:00 p.m. U.S. time, which means it closes at 2:00 a.m. Korean time the following day.

If you also trade other countries’ markets, it might be worth keeping these in mind. The Tokyo Stock Exchange runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with a lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), the London Stock Exchange from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Hong Kong from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (with a lunch break from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.), and Shanghai from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with a lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Since there’s almost no overlap with U.S. market hours, you should make separate trading plans for each market.

In the end, in order to trade successfully, it’s essential to know U.S. market hours and holidays accurately. Exchange schedules can change occasionally, so it’s also important to develop the habit of always checking the latest information.