Gold Session Volatility Map
How far does gold typically move in each hour of the day and each trading session — and when is it quiet?
XAUUSD volatility by time of day
Historical averages — not a forecast
Average range by session
Typical high-to-low range of each session, per trading day.
Weekday × hour heatmap
Average range in each hour. Darker cells move more.
Average range by hour
Methodology
TradeLytics records the XAUUSD price every 5 minutes while the market is open. For each hour, the range is the highest recorded price minus the lowest; hours with fewer than 6 of their 12 samples are left out. Session and daily ranges use every sample in the window, so a session's range is at least as large as any single hour in it.
Hourly range = max(price) − min(price) within the hour
Session range = max(price) − min(price) within the session, per day
% of price = range ÷ average price in that window × 100
Sessions (UTC): Asia 00–07 · London 07–12 · Overlap 12–16 · New York 16–21 · Late 21–24Because the samples are 5 minutes apart, short spikes between samples are missed, so true ranges are somewhat larger than shown. Session windows are fixed in UTC; the actual London and New York opens move by an hour with daylight saving.
Important: Estimation Only
This calculator provides mathematical projections based on the assumptions and historical/backtest statistics entered by the user. It is not a guarantee or prediction of future trading results. Actual EA performance may vary significantly due to market conditions, volatility, liquidity, spread, slippage, execution quality, commission, swap, news events, market sentiment, changes in market regime, broker conditions and differences between backtest, forward-test and live trading.
Past performance and backtest results do not guarantee future results.
Reading the gold session volatility map
Gold trades almost 24 hours a day, but it does not move evenly. Liquidity and news arrive in waves: the Asian session is usually the calmest, London adds momentum, and the overlap with New York, when US economic data is released, typically produces the largest hourly ranges of the day.
The heatmap shows this pattern for each weekday, so you can also see day-of-week effects such as quieter Monday mornings or busier Fridays around US data.
Using it for EA settings
Session filters: a breakout EA usually benefits from hours with larger ranges, while a grid, scalping or mean-reversion EA may prefer quieter hours and avoid the rollover period, when spreads widen.
Stops and targets: compare your stop distance with the typical hourly range. A stop smaller than one normal hour's range is likely to be hit by routine movement rather than a real change in direction.
Frequently asked questions
When is gold most volatile during the day?
Gold usually moves most during the London and New York overlap, when both markets are open and major US data is released. The map shows the typical range for every hour, based on the most recent weeks of recorded prices.
Where does the data come from?
TradeLytics records the XAUUSD price every 5 minutes while the market is open. For each hour, the range is the highest recorded price minus the lowest. Because these are 5-minute samples rather than tick data, true ranges are slightly larger than shown.
How can EA traders use the session map?
It helps choose trading hours, set session filters and size stops. A breakout EA may favour high-range hours, while a mean-reversion or scalping EA may prefer quieter hours with lower spread risk.
Why do the hours shift when I change the time zone?
All data is stored in UTC. Selecting a time zone shifts the labels to that zone's current offset, including daylight saving for London and New York.