Central Time (US & Canada)
Commonly abbreviated CST/CDT — shown here for reference only; this site always uses the IANA identifier America/Chicago as the source of truth.
01:26:59
Sunday, November 8, 2026 · UTC−06:00
Currently outside daylight saving time. Next change: 2027-03-14.
Right now this zone is on CST.
Understand this time zone
- How Daylight Saving Time WorksDaylight saving time moves clocks forward in spring and back in autumn — but not everywhere. Here is who observes it and why it matters for scheduling.
- Why Time Differences Between Cities Change During the YearThe time difference between two cities isn’t always fixed — it can shift by an hour depending on the season. Here’s why, with a real example.
Cities in this time zone
Central Time (US & Canada) compared with other time zones
| Time zone | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinated Universal Time | 07:26 | 6 hours ahead |
| Greenwich Mean Time | 07:26 | 6 hours ahead |
| Indochina Time | 14:26 | 13 hours ahead |
| India Standard Time | 12:56 | 11h 30m ahead |
| Japan Standard Time | 16:26 | 15 hours ahead |
| Korea Standard Time | 16:26 | 15 hours ahead |
| Singapore Time | 15:26 | 14 hours ahead |
| China Standard Time | 15:26 | 14 hours ahead |
Used in: United States, Canada.