ICT Kill Zones and Trading Sessions in New York Time
Kill zones are the time windows that ICT considers the most active for setups. They are expressed in New York time: Asian 20:00–00:00, London 02:00–05:00, New York AM 07:00–10:00, London close 10:00–12:00 and New York PM 13:30–16:00. Time is a filter in the framework: the same pattern is treated differently inside and outside these windows.
Intermediate · 10 min read · Updated
What you will learn
Place the ICT kill zones on your chart in New York time and explain why time matters in the framework.
Read first: What Is ICT Trading? Michael J. Huddleston and the ICT Framework
Why time is part of the method
Liquidity and volatility are not spread evenly over 24 hours. They rise when large financial centres open and when scheduled data is released. A sweep or a shift during an active window involves more participants than the same pattern during a quiet hour. Kill zones are ICT’s way of turning that observation into fixed rules.
The windows, in New York time
| Window | New York time | What traders watch |
|---|---|---|
| Asian kill zone | 20:00–00:00 | The Asian range, often a liquidity reference for London |
| London kill zone | 02:00–05:00 | Raids on the Asian range, first move of the day |
| New York AM | 07:00–10:00 | 8:30 releases, the 9:30 equity open |
| London close | 10:00–12:00 | Retracements as Europe closes |
| New York PM | 13:30–16:00 | Afternoon session to the equity close |
These are the defaults of the free Killzones indicator, where every window can be edited.
Reference times: midnight, 8:30 and 9:30
- New York midnight open: ICT uses the price at 00:00 New York time as a daily reference, above which price is in premium for the day and below which it is in discount.
- 8:30: many US economic releases, such as the employment report and consumer prices, are published at 8:30 New York time, which creates sharp moves.
- 9:30: the US equity market opens, which changes volume in equity index futures.
The Silver Bullet windows (03:00–04:00, 10:00–11:00 and 14:00–15:00) and the Power of 3 and Judas Swing models are built on these same times.
Daylight saving time and your chart
New York time moves between EST and EDT, and the United States and Europe do not change their clocks on the same dates. For two to three weeks in March and about one week around the end of October, London opens one hour later in New York time than usual. Set your chart to New York time, or use an indicator that converts automatically, instead of memorising times in your own zone.
Futures also have their own schedule: CME equity index futures trade almost around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon, with a daily pause; check the exchange’s trading hours for your contract.
Using kill zones without overfitting
- Use the windows as a filter, not as a signal: no setup, no trade.
- Test whether a window adds anything for your market: on some contracts, the London window is quiet.
- Avoid opening positions seconds before a scheduled release unless your plan covers it; spreads widen and slippage rises.
Converting the kill zones to your time zone
New York is on UTC−4 in summer (EDT) and UTC−5 in winter (EST). The table converts two kill zones for a few places; Algeria and the United Arab Emirates do not change their clocks, London does.
| Kill zone (New York) | UTC | London | Algiers | Dubai |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London 02:00–05:00, US summer time | 06:00–09:00 | 07:00–10:00 | 07:00–10:00 | 10:00–13:00 |
| London 02:00–05:00, US winter time | 07:00–10:00 | 07:00–10:00 | 08:00–11:00 | 11:00–14:00 |
| New York AM 07:00–10:00, US summer time | 11:00–14:00 | 12:00–15:00 | 12:00–15:00 | 15:00–18:00 |
| New York AM 07:00–10:00, US winter time | 12:00–15:00 | 12:00–15:00 | 13:00–16:00 | 16:00–19:00 |
The London column assumes that the UK and the US are both on summer time or both on winter time. During the weeks when only one of them has changed, London times move by one hour. The safest habit is to set the chart itself to New York time.
Common mistakes
- Using local time and forgetting daylight saving changes.
- Forcing a trade because the window is open.
- Ignoring the economic calendar inside the New York window.
Practice exercise
Set your chart to New York time. Every day for four weeks, mark the high and low of each kill zone on the futures contract you follow, and note in which window the daily high and the daily low were made. Then count how often each window produced an extreme.
Check your understanding
1. In which time zone are ICT kill zones expressed?
- London time
- New York time
- UTC
Show the answer
Answer: New York time. ICT expresses all session times in New York time.
2. What is the default London kill zone?
- 02:00–05:00 New York time
- 08:00–11:00 New York time
- 20:00–00:00 New York time
Show the answer
Answer: 02:00–05:00 New York time. The London kill zone runs from 02:00 to 05:00 New York time.
3. Why do kill zones shift in March and autumn for some traders?
- Exchanges change hours
- The US and Europe change their clocks on different dates
- ICT updates the windows yearly
Show the answer
Answer: The US and Europe change their clocks on different dates. Daylight saving changes do not happen on the same dates in the US and Europe.
Practise with the free tools
Frequently asked questions
Which kill zone is best?
It depends on the market. For US index futures, the New York AM window usually has the most volume; for currency pairs, London matters more. Test it on your instrument.
What is the New York midnight open?
The price at 00:00 New York time, which ICT uses as a daily reference to judge premium and discount for the day.
Are kill zones the same as Silver Bullet windows?
No. Silver Bullet windows are one-hour slots inside or near the kill zones: 03:00–04:00, 10:00–11:00 and 14:00–15:00 New York time.
Related lessons
References and further reading
- Trading hours — CME Group
- The Inner Circle Trader — official YouTube channel — Michael J. Huddleston
- Day Trading: Your Dollars at Risk — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
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