COMEX Closing Time: What Traders Get Wrong About When the Market Actually Shuts Down

If you've ever searched for "COMEX closing time" expecting a single, clean answer, you've probably noticed something frustrating: the results don't quite agree with each other. Some sources say 4:00 PM Central Time. Others mention a brief maintenance window. A few point to a recent change that altered the traditional schedule entirely. And if you're trading gold, copper, or silver futures, the specifics matter more than most casual observers realize.

Let's clear up the confusion.

The Myth of a Single Closing Bell

The biggest misconception about COMEX closing time is that it works like a stock exchange—one opening bell, one closing bell, and a clear line between "open" and "closed." That's not how futures markets operate.

COMEX, which operates under the CME Group umbrella, runs on what's essentially a 24-hour cycle during the trading week. The traditional schedule for most COMEX products has been Sunday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 4:00 PM Central Time, with a daily 60-minute maintenance break from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM CT. That 4:00 PM CT mark is what most people mean when they reference "COMEX closing time"—but it's not a hard stop for the entire exchange.

What Changed with Gold Futures

Here's where it gets interesting for anyone trading the yellow metal. Effective July 24, 2026, COMEX amended the 1-Ounce Gold Futures contract to enable near-continuous trading on CME Globex. The new schedule expands trading to 24/7 with only narrow maintenance windows: Saturday from 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM CT, and Monday through Friday from 4:00 PM to 4:02 PM CT.

That two-minute daily pause is a far cry from the hour-long maintenance period that used to define the boundary between trading days. For gold traders, the concept of a "closing time" has become almost ceremonial—the market essentially never stops.

Why the Distinction Matters for Different Products

Not all COMEX contracts follow identical schedules. Gold may have moved to near-24/7 trading, but other metals like copper and silver maintain schedules that align more closely with the traditional Sunday-to-Friday model. The COMEX exchange hours you need to know depend entirely on which contract you're trading.

This product-by-product variation is exactly why blanket statements about "when COMEX closes" tend to mislead. A copper trader watching the clock at 4:00 PM CT has a different situation than a gold trader whose contract barely blinks.

Regular Trading Hours vs. Electronic Trading

Another layer of confusion comes from the difference between Regular Trading Hours (RTH) and the broader electronic session. For gold futures, RTH runs from 7:20 AM to 12:30 PM CT, with settlement occurring at 12:30 PM. Copper follows a similar pattern, with RTH from 7:10 AM to 12:00 PM CT.

When people ask about COMEX market close time, they're often thinking of these RTH windows—the periods of highest liquidity and tightest spreads. But the electronic session extends well beyond those hours, and for many traders, that's when the real action happens.

Holiday Schedules Add Another Variable

If the daily schedule weren't complicated enough, COMEX holidays introduce their own modifications. On most Monday U.S. holidays—Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day—CME Globex halts trading at approximately 12:00 PM CT, then reopens at 5:00 PM CT the same evening for the next trade date.

Early closes also occur before certain holidays. For example, on the day before Independence Day, settlement may occur at 12:00 PM CT rather than the usual time. These variations mean that anyone holding positions through a holiday needs to verify the specific schedule for their product rather than assuming standard hours apply.

Keeping Track Without Constant Monitoring

For active traders, staying on top of COMEX futures trading hours—especially when they shift for holidays or product-specific reasons—can feel like a part-time job in itself. You either keep a browser tab permanently open to the CME trading hours page, or you risk missing an early close and finding yourself unable to adjust positions when you expected to.

This is where having quick access to your trading terminal becomes practical. Camovia Tray turns MT5 or MT4 into a system tray tool, letting you hover over the tray icon to see live quotes and check open positions without opening the full terminal window. If you need to close a position before an early holiday close, you can do it directly from the tray—click the position card, confirm, and you're done.

The tool reads all market and position data locally from your terminal, so nothing gets uploaded or synced to external servers. For traders who want to monitor COMEX hours and manage positions without keeping MetaTrader front and center all day, it offers a lighter approach that doesn't compromise on functionality.

The Bottom Line

COMEX closing time isn't a single moment—it's a schedule that varies by product, shifts for holidays, and has evolved significantly with the expansion of gold futures trading to near-24/7 operation. The 4:00 PM CT reference point remains useful as a general marker, but serious traders know to verify the specifics for their contracts before relying on any blanket rule.

Whether you're trading gold's continuous session or watching for copper's daily settlement, understanding these nuances helps you avoid surprises. And having the right tools to monitor positions efficiently—especially during irregular hours—makes the complexity more manageable.