ICT New York Killzone Time

The ICT New York Killzone is a 4-hour window where the most aggressive price moves happen not all day, not the entire New York session. If you're trading from your timezone, this is the window that matters most. The killzone: 07:00 AM – 10:00 AM New York time.

This is when US banks and institutions enter their positions. When major news drops. When liquidity gets swept hard.

If you're trading ICT, this window matters more than the entire rest of the day. But here's the problem: most traders in your country don't know when the New York Killzone starts in their local timezone.

Because of Daylight Saving Time (DST), the killzone shifts by an hour depending on the season. The tool above handles that automatically.

Price sweeps liquidity in the first hour, typically in the first 30 minutes (07:00-07:30 AM NY time), then trends for the next 2.5 hours. That's your window.

How to Trade the New York Killzone

The New York killzone is where some of the cleanest ICT setups happen, but the mistake most traders make is entering too early.

Step 1: Identify Areas of Key Liquidity

Before the New York market opens, take a close look at:

1. Yesterday's high and low
2. The highs and lows from the Asian session
3. The highs and lows from the London session
4. Equal highs and lows
5. Trendline liquidity

These are the spots where the big players typically start setting their targets.

Step 2: Wait for the Initial Liquidity Sweep

During the first hour of the New York session, watch as price usually sweeps all the easy liquidity first. Retail traders tend to jump in way too early, and their stops get taken out.

Here's an example of what you might see:

If price breaks above London highs then reverses, start looking for sell opportunities. If price breaks below London lows then reverses, start looking for buys. But don't just leap in right away. Wait for confirmation first.

Step 3: Wait for a Market Structure Shift

After the initial liquidity has been swept, watch for price to start heading in the other direction. This is your signal that smart money is on the move.

For instance, if you're looking to buy, look for:

• Price breaking lows
• Then a strong bullish candle forming
• Bullish CHoCH happens

That's when you know the smart money is showing you which way the trade is going.

Step 4: Get In on the Pullback

After the CHoCH has played out, wait for price to retrace into an order block. This will give you better entries and smaller stop losses.

Best Pairs for the New York Killzone

The New York killzone tends to work best on:

1. EUR/USD
2. GBP/USD
3. NAS100
4. US30
5. XAU/USD (Gold)

These pairs tend to move the most aggressively during US session volatility.

The Judas Swing in New York

Just like the London Killzone, New York often starts with a fake move.

In the first 15-30 minutes (07:00-07:30 AM NY time), price frequently moves AGAINST the real direction of the day. This is the Judas swing.

What it looks like:

• If the real move is bullish, price dips first to grab sellside liquidity
• If the real move is bearish, price rallies first to grab buyside liquidity
• It sweeps London session highs or lows to trap early traders

How to avoid getting trapped:

Don't enter during the first 30 minutes. Wait for the sweep to complete, then look for CHoCH or MSS to confirm the real direction.

The Silver Bullet Window (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM)

The Silver Bullet is a timing-based entry model. In New York, it happens between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM NY time.

By this point:

• The Judas swing has already happened
• Major news (if any) has been released
• Liquidity has been swept
• Direction is clear from market structure

The setup:

1. Confirm bias from the morning session (which liquidity was taken?)
2. Between 10:00-11:00 AM, look for a single Fair Value Gap
3. Enter on the FVG
4. Target the next liquidity pool

This is the same Silver Bullet concept that works in the London Killzone (03:00 AM – 04:00 AM New York time). Same rules, different window. One setup. One trade. That's the Silver Bullet.

New York vs London Killzone

London Killzone:

• Often sets the daily direction
• Sweeps Asian range liquidity
• Creates one extreme of the daily range

New York Killzone:

• Continues London or reverses it
• Sweeps London session highs/lows
• Often creates the other daily extreme

If London set the high of the day, New York often creates the low (and vice versa). For traders in your country, understanding this relationship helps you decide whether to trade continuation or reversal during the ICT New York Killzone.