Central Time: CST and CDT
Central Standard Time (CST) is UTC−6, one hour behind Eastern Time. During daylight saving time, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, the zone uses Central Daylight Time (CDT), UTC−5. Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, New Orleans and nearly all of Texas are on Central Time.
By Asier Fernández ·
Right now in Chicago: --:--:--
CST or CDT? The change dates
| Year | Daylight time starts (2 a.m.) | Standard time returns (2 a.m.) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, March 8 | Sunday, November 1 |
| 2027 | Sunday, March 14 | Sunday, November 7 |
| 2028 | Sunday, March 12 | Sunday, November 5 |
Set by federal law (15 U.S.C. 260a). In 2026 the Central zone returns to CST on Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 a.m.
Convert Central Time
Is Texas on Central Time?
Yes, except the far west. The boundary between the Central and Mountain zones runs down the western edge of Texas and then along the east line of Hudspeth County to the Mexican border (49 CFR 71.7, paragraph (e)), so Hudspeth and El Paso counties are on Mountain Time and the rest of Texas on Central.
Where Central Time applies
The Central zone lies between the Eastern–Central line (49 CFR 71.5) and the Central–Mountain line (49 CFR 71.7). Both lines cross states: the eastern one splits Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida; the western one splits North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma are on Central Time.
Central Time compared with other zones
| When it is noon Central | Eastern | Mountain | Pacific | UTC (winter / summer) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All year | 1:00 p.m. | 11:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 18:00 / 17:00 |
| Central Time | Eastern Time | Pacific Time | UTC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 a.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 10:00 p.m. (−1 day) | 6:00 a.m. |
| 1:00 a.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 11:00 p.m. (−1 day) | 7:00 a.m. |
| 2:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. |
| 3:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. |
| 4:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. |
| 5:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 6:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 8:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 9:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 10:00 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 11:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 12:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 1:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 11:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
| 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 3:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
| 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| 5:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. |
| 6:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 7:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 1:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 8:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 9:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 3:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 10:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 4:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 11:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. (+1 day) | 9:00 p.m. | 5:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
Winter (standard time), for example January 15, 2027.
Shift handovers across zones
A plant in Houston and a control room in Atlanta are an hour apart: a 6 a.m. Central start is 7 a.m. Eastern. Write both times on shared rotas, and note that both zones change on the same night, so the gap stays one hour. For your own rotation, the shift calendar shows every shift of the year.
More guides
Figures are worked out from each cycle; rules checked against official sources on . How we calculate
Questions
Is Texas in CST?
Most of Texas is on Central Time (CST in winter, CDT in summer). Hudspeth and El Paso counties in the far west are on Mountain Time (49 CFR 71.7).
What is the CST time zone?
Central Standard Time, UTC−6, used in the central United States in winter. In summer the zone uses CDT, UTC−5.
Is CST 1 hour or 2 hours behind EST?
1 hour. Noon Eastern is 11:00 a.m. Central, all year.
What is CST and EST?
Central and Eastern Standard Time, the winter times of the two zones: UTC−6 and UTC−5.
Is Chicago on CST?
Chicago is on Central Time: CST in winter and CDT from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.