ICT defines four kill zones: London (02:00-05:00 EST), New York AM (07:00-11:00 EST), New York PM (13:30-16:00 EST), and Asia (20:00-00:00 EST). These are the windows where institutional order flow is most concentrated on Forex and index markets. Outside these four windows, low-amplitude algorithmic activity dominates and reduces the reliability of ICT setups significantly.
What are ICT kill zones?
Definition and purpose
The ICT methodology is built on one central principle: financial markets are driven by large institutions, not retail traders. Banks, central banks, hedge funds, and dealing desks have precise operational constraints: they must execute positions when liquidity is sufficient to absorb their volumes without significant price slippage.
Michael Huddleston identified and named four daily windows where this institutional activity peaks. The term "kill zone" is a precision metaphor: like a sniper waiting for the optimal window, an ICT trader only executes trades within these specific time slots.
According to the Bank for International Settlements 2022 Triennial Survey, the Forex market processes $7.5 trillion per day in average volume. The London session alone accounts for 38% of that global volume, which explains why the London Kill Zone generates the most consistent directional moves of the trading day.
Why institutional activity concentrates in these windows
Global financial markets operate in successive sessions, each activated by the opening of local exchanges. Institutional activity rises at each session open and gradually fades. ICT kill zones correspond precisely to these activation moments and their overlaps.
The London/New York overlap (from 13:00 to 17:00 UTC in winter) represents the daily peak of global liquidity. This is when the New York AM Kill Zone reaches its full potential: the two most liquid markets are simultaneously active and directional momentum is at its highest.
Why filter trades by kill zone
Between kill zones, market activity is dominated by high-frequency algorithms and low-size orders. Price oscillates erratically with no clear institutional direction. Applying a strict time filter (only trading in kill zones) eliminates this market noise and focuses analysis on the only moments when a significant directional move is probable.
Complete schedule: all kill zones by session
London kill zone (02:00-05:00 EST)
The London Kill Zone is, alongside the New York AM Kill Zone, the most productive window for ICT setups on major Forex pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, GBP/JPY). The London session open systematically generates significant impulsive moves. London institutions typically aim to capture the liquidity accumulated during the Asian session before initiating the main directional move of the day.
A defining feature of this window is the Judas Swing: an initial false move in the opposite direction to the real daily move, designed to trigger stop-losses on retail traders positioned on the wrong side. For a full breakdown of entry strategies during London, see our London Kill Zone guide.
New York AM kill zone (07:00-11:00 EST)
The New York AM Kill Zone is the most powerful window in the ICT daily cycle. It covers the New York session open and its overlap with the end of the London session, creating the global volume peak. US macroeconomic releases (NFP, CPI, retail sales) land at 08:30 EST, amplifying institutional activity during this window.
The most reliable ICT setups, including the Silver Bullet, occur in this four-hour window. For a deep dive into strategies specific to this session, see our New York Kill Zone guide.
New York PM kill zone (13:30-16:00 EST)
The New York PM Kill Zone covers the gradual close of the London session and end-of-day US institutional portfolio rebalancing. Directional moves are less predictable here than in the first two windows. Michael Huddleston recommends using this window primarily for managing existing positions or identifying low-risk continuation setups through the 14:00-15:00 EST Silver Bullet window.
Beginners should avoid this window until they are confident reading signals from the first three kill zones.
Asia kill zone (20:00-00:00 EST)
The Asia Kill Zone is the least volatile of the four, but it plays a critical strategic role in the ICT methodology. It defines the Asian range (the high and low established overnight) that serves as a liquidity pool for subsequent sessions. London and New York institutions often target these extremes at their session opens to sweep liquidity before launching the actual directional move.
This window is primarily useful for contextual analysis: identifying where overnight liquidity has accumulated to anticipate London Kill Zone behavior the following morning.
Kill zone conversion table: UTC vs EST vs CET
Summer and winter time adjustments
Kill zone times are defined in New York time (EST in winter = UTC-5, EDT in summer = UTC-4). European traders use CET in winter (UTC+1) and CEST in summer (UTC+2). US and European clock changes do not always coincide, creating brief transition windows each spring where the offset differs from the usual.
A time filter coded in fixed UTC without seasonal adjustment will produce incorrect results over a multi-year backtest.
Clock change timing difference
The United States switches to EDT (summer time) on the second Sunday in March and reverts to EST on the first Sunday in November. Europe changes approximately three weeks after the US in spring. During this brief transition window, ICT kill zones occur one hour earlier than usual for European traders.
Quick-reference cheat sheet
| Kill Zone | EST (reference) | UTC (base winter) | CET (winter UTC+1) | CEST (summer UTC+2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Kill Zone | 02:00-05:00 | 07:00-10:00 | 08:00-11:00 | 09:00-12:00 |
| New York AM Kill Zone | 07:00-11:00 | 12:00-16:00 | 13:00-17:00 | 14:00-18:00 |
| New York PM Kill Zone | 13:30-16:00 | 18:30-21:00 | 19:30-22:00 | 20:30-23:00 |
| Asia Kill Zone | 20:00-00:00 | 01:00-05:00 | 02:00-06:00 | 03:00-07:00 |
Note: UTC times above are calculated from EST (US winter base). During US summer time (EDT), all kill zones shift one hour earlier in UTC: London 06:00-09:00 UTC, NY AM 11:00-15:00 UTC, NY PM 17:30-20:00 UTC, Asia 00:00-04:00 UTC.
Trading strategies inside kill zones
Judas swing and liquidity sweeps at session open
The Judas Swing typically appears at the very start of the London or NY AM Kill Zone. Price first moves in the wrong direction to capture stop-losses from retail traders positioned against the eventual institutional move, then reverses sharply. Recognizing this pattern requires waiting for a Market Structure Shift confirmation on a lower timeframe before entering a trade.
For a detailed breakdown of the price displacement that often follows the Judas Swing, see our ICT displacement candle guide.
Silver Bullet strategy (ICT 3-hour window)
The Silver Bullet is one of the most precise ICT setups, available only during three specific one-hour windows inside the kill zones:
These narrow windows are considered to produce the most valid Fair Value Gap setups of the day. The Silver Bullet strategy guide covers the full entry protocol and validity conditions for each of the three windows.
Volume and spread behavior in kill zones
During kill zones, volume rises and the spread tightens on major Forex pairs. This is the observable confirmation that institutional activity is genuinely present in the session. Conversely, a spread that widens during a kill zone can signal reduced liquidity (a major holiday in a key region, no scheduled macro releases) and lower-quality session conditions.
Rigorous backtesting should filter out kill zones on major holidays (US Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year) that disrupt normal volume profiles and produce results that do not represent typical market behavior.
Backtesting kill zone entries with historical data
How to filter entries by session time
Backtesting an ICT strategy without a time filter buries kill zone signals in a mass of inter-session data. Setting up a strict time filter referenced to New York time (EST) is the mandatory first step. The filter must correctly handle EDT/EST transitions in March and November to avoid time drift across multiple years.
Set up the time filter
Choose a precise entry signal
Establish the HTF directional bias
Define stop-loss and target
Compare metrics across all kill zones
What backtesting shows about kill zone reliability
Systematic backtesting of kill zones consistently reveals significant performance differences between windows. These differences reflect the real-world institutional volume available in each session and are not random.
According to data published by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the majority of retail CFD traders lose money over time. Rigorous historical validation of strategies, session by session, is one of the most direct ways to address this structural challenge and identify which time windows actually improve performance.
Backtest kill zones without code using Backtrex
Backtrex lets you set up a kill zone time filter in a few clicks, with automatic EDT/EST transition handling built in. Run a backtest in under 30 seconds on 5 to 10 years of OHLC data and compare metrics across all four kill zones in one view. Free account and guided tour, then a lifetime Pro or Max license paid once; if you buy from the EU, EEA or UK, 14 days to change your mind. See options at /pricing.
Important Risk Warning
Conclusion
ICT kill zones are the temporal foundation of the Inner Circle Trader methodology. The UTC/EST/CET conversion table above is the practical reference for setting up time filters correctly in your backtesting tool and aligning your trading sessions with your local time zone, in both summer and winter.
For deeper strategy content inside each kill zone, start with the full ICT kill zones strategy guide, then explore the dedicated London Kill Zone guide and New York Kill Zone guide for a session-by-session breakdown.
FAQ
The New York AM Kill Zone runs from 07:00 to 11:00 EST (12:00-16:00 UTC in winter). The PM window runs from 13:30 to 16:00 EST (18:30-21:00 UTC in winter). For UK traders (GMT in winter): NY AM is 12:00-16:00 GMT, NY PM is 18:30-21:00 GMT. During summer (BST/EDT), these shift one hour earlier in local UK time.
The four ICT kill zones are: London (02:00-05:00 EST), New York AM (07:00-11:00 EST), New York PM (13:30-16:00 EST), and Asia (20:00-00:00 EST). In UTC (winter base): London 07:00-10:00, NY AM 12:00-16:00, NY PM 18:30-21:00, Asia 01:00-05:00.
The Judas swing is a false move at session open (typically London or NY AM kill zone) designed to trap retail traders before price reverses toward the true institutional objective. Institutions use this move to capture stop-loss orders from traders positioned on the wrong side before executing their actual directional intent.
Kill zones are defined in New York time (EST/EDT). For European traders, the local equivalent shifts with clock changes. In winter (CET), the London Kill Zone runs 08:00-11:00; in summer (CEST), it runs 09:00-12:00. A backtest time filter set in fixed UTC without seasonal adjustment will produce time drift over multi-year data.
The London Kill Zone (02:00-05:00 EST / 08:00-11:00 CET in winter) and the New York AM Kill Zone (07:00-11:00 EST / 13:00-17:00 CET in winter) are the most recommended starting points. These two windows produce the most consistent directional moves. The NY PM Kill Zone is best avoided by beginners due to its lower predictability.
No. Each kill zone has a distinct behavioral profile. The London Kill Zone favors continuation setups after an Asian liquidity sweep. The NY AM Kill Zone suits reversal setups on macro releases and FVG entries. The NY PM Kill Zone is better suited for the 14:00-15:00 Silver Bullet and position management. Backtesting each kill zone separately is essential to validate which window fits your specific entry signal.