1.The Eastern time zone and the Central time zone are used to separate time based on geographical differences. The Eastern time zone is one hour ahead of the Central time zone. 2.The Eastern time zone affects states that are off the coast of the Atlantic, parts of Canada, and the Caribbean. The Central time zone affects the states that are in-between the Eastern time zone and the Mountain time zone, parts of Canada, and a lot of Mexico. 3.Eastern time zone is abbreviated with âESTâ or Eastern Standard Time.