Robinhood's Trading Hours
Robinhood lets you trade stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) during three separate windows each trading day: pre-market (4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern), regular market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern), and after-hours (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern). Not all account types or security types are available during all three windows.
The times listed above are Eastern Time, which is what the stock market itself uses. If you live in a different time zone, you will need to convert. For example, 9:30 a.m. Eastern is 8:30 a.m. Central, 7:30 a.m. Mountain, and 6:30 a.m. Pacific.
The underlying stock market — the exchanges where trades actually happen — operates on the same schedule. Robinhood cannot let you trade outside these windows because there is nowhere to send your order. On weekends and federal market holidays, the market is closed entirely and Robinhood does not accept trades.
Key Takeaways
- Regular market hours run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, and this is when most trades happen and prices move most predictably.
- Pre-market trading starts at 4:00 a.m. Eastern but has lower volume, wider spreads between buy and sell prices, and is available only on certain account types.
- After-hours trading runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern and carries the same risks as pre-market — fewer buyers and sellers, and prices can move sharply on news.
- The stock market is closed on weekends and federal holidays, so Robinhood will not accept any trades during those times.
- Times are always shown in Eastern Time on Robinhood's platform, so convert to your local zone if you are not on the East Coast.
What Happens During Regular Market Hours
Regular market hours — 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern — are when the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are fully open. This is when the vast majority of trades happen, when prices are most stable, and when news and earnings announcements have their full effect. If you are new to trading, this is the window where you should place most of your trades.
During these nine and a half hours, you can buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and most other securities on Robinhood without any special restrictions. Your order will execute quickly because there are millions of other buyers and sellers in the market at the same time. The difference between what you pay to buy and what you receive to sell — called the spread — is usually very small during regular hours.
Pre-Market Trading: 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern
Pre-market trading lets you place orders before the official market open, but it comes with real drawbacks. The number of shares being bought and sold is much lower than during regular hours, so your order might not fill at the price you expected. The spread — the gap between buy and sell prices — is often much wider, which means you pay more to buy and receive less to sell.
Not all Robinhood accounts can trade pre-market. You need a Robinhood Gold membership or a Robinhood Crypto account to access pre-market hours. Even then, not every stock is available for pre-market trading. Robinhood publishes a list of pre-market may be able to access securities on its website, and you should check that list before placing an order.
Pre-market is most useful if you want to react to news that broke after the market closed the previous day — earnings reports, FDA decisions, or major company announcements. However, the low volume means your order could sit unfilled until regular hours begin, or fill at a much worse price than you would get during the day.
After-Hours Trading: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern
After-hours trading runs from when the regular market closes at 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Like pre-market, it has lower volume and wider spreads. Many stocks see significant price moves in after-hours trading because fewer shares are being traded, so a single large order can move the price up or down sharply.
After-hours trading is available on most Robinhood accounts without a special membership, but the same risks explore: your order may not fill, or it may fill at a price far from what you expected. If you place an order during after-hours and it does not fill before 8:00 p.m., it will carry over to the next trading day's pre-market session (if your account type allows pre-market) or to regular hours.
After-hours is useful if you want to react when ready to news that broke at or just after the close, but be aware that the price you see on Robinhood during after-hours may not be the price you actually get. Always use a limit order — which sets a maximum price you will pay or a minimum price you will accept — rather than a market order during after-hours.
Market Holidays and Weekend Closures
The stock market is closed on weekends and on federal holidays. On those days, Robinhood will not accept any trades, and you cannot place orders for stocks or ETFs. You can still view your account, check balances, and place orders for cryptocurrencies (which trade 24/7), but equity trades are blocked.
The major holidays when the market is closed include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. On some holidays, the market opens at a different time or closes early — for example, the day before Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas typically close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern instead of 4:00 p.m. Robinhood's app will show you the market status and any early closures.
How to Check if the Market Is Open Right Now
Open the Robinhood app or website and look at the top of the screen. Robinhood displays the market status clearly: "Market Open", "Market Closed", "Pre-Market Open", or "After-Hours Open". This status updates in real time and tells you exactly which trading window is active.
You can also look at the price chart for any stock. During regular hours, the chart shows live prices that update constantly. During pre-market or after-hours, the chart shows a separate section with those trades. If the market is closed, the chart will show the previous close price and will not update until the next trading window opens.
Time Zone Conversion for Your Location
| Time Zone | Market Open (9:30 a.m. ET) | Market Close (4:00 p.m. ET) | Pre-Market Start (4:00 a.m. ET) | After-Hours End (8:00 p.m. ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | 9:30 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| Central (CT) | 8:30 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
| Mountain (MT) | 7:30 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| Pacific (PT) | 6:30 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trade on Robinhood at 8:00 a.m. Eastern?
Yes, but only during pre-market hours, and only if your account type supports it. At 8:00 a.m. Eastern, the regular market has not yet opened (that happens at 9:30 a.m.), so you are trading in the pre-market window. You will need Robinhood Gold or a Robinhood Crypto account, and the stock must be on Robinhood's pre-market may be able to access list.
What happens to my order if I place it at 3:00 p.m. Eastern?
If you place a market order at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, it will fill during regular market hours (which are still open — the market does not close until 4:00 p.m.). If you place it at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, it will either fill during after-hours trading or carry over to the next trading day, depending on whether your account supports after-hours and whether there are buyers or sellers at your price.
Does Robinhood trade on Christmas?
No. The stock market is closed on Christmas Day, so Robinhood does not accept stock or ETF trades. You can still view your account and trade cryptocurrencies, but equity trading is blocked. If Christmas falls on a weekend, the market is closed on the observed holiday (usually the Friday before or Monday after).
Why is the price different in pre-market than it was at the close?
Pre-market trading has much lower volume, so a single large order can move the price significantly. News that breaks after hours — earnings reports, regulatory decisions, or company announcements — can also cause the price to move before the regular market opens. The pre-market price may not reflect what the stock will actually trade for when the regular market opens.
Can I set a limit order that executes during pre-market?
Yes, if your account supports pre-market trading. You can place a limit order at any time, and if the stock reaches your price during pre-market hours, it will fill. However, be aware that pre-market volume is low, so your order might not fill even if the price touches your limit.