Current Time in Chicago, United States
The time in Chicago right now, with its time zone, daylight saving dates and the difference from where you are.
Chicago keeps Central Time: CST UTC−6 in winter, CDT UTC−5 in summer.
Convert a time in Chicago →Time in Chicago
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Central Time · CST UTC−6 in winter, CDT UTC−5 in summer
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Chicago’s time zone
Chicago keeps Central Time: CST (UTC−6) for the colder months and CDT (UTC−5) while daylight saving is on. In 2027 the clocks go forward on Sunday 14 March and back again on Sunday 7 November. Phones and computers set Chicago’s clocks from the America/Chicago zone of the IANA tz database, and so does this page.
Chicago sets the time for the US Central zone, which stretches from the Gulf Coast of Texas to Manitoba’s border and includes Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, New Orleans and Kansas City. The city joined Central Time with the railroads on 18 November 1883 and, like New York, ran its own daylight saving under city rules between the 1920s and 1966.
It briefly left the zone altogether. On 1 March 1936 Chicago moved to Eastern Standard Time, an hour ahead of its neighbours, and moved back on 15 November that year after the experiment proved unpopular. Since 2007 the city has followed the federal calendar: forward on the second Sunday in March, back on the first Sunday in November. Chicago is an hour behind New York all year, which makes it a natural midpoint for meetings that span both coasts; 11:00 am in Chicago is noon in New York and 9:00 am in Los Angeles.
CST = UTC −6 · CDT = UTC −5
- Chicago switched to Eastern Standard Time on 1 March 1936 and returned to Central Time on 15 November 1936. Source: IANA tz database, file “northamerica”.
Chicago time compared with other cities
How far ahead or behind each place is, on Wednesday 13 January 2027 and Wednesday 14 July 2027, and the time there when it is 9:00 am in Chicago in January.
| Place | In January | In July | At 9:00 am in Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 10:00 am |
| Denver | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 8:00 am |
| Los Angeles | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 7:00 am |
| Mexico City | same time | 1 h behind | 9:00 am |
| London | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 3:00 pm |
| Berlin | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 4:00 pm |
| India | 11 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 8:30 pm |
| Tokyo | 15 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 12:00 am (next day) |
| UTC | 6 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 3:00 pm |
Clock changes in Chicago, 2026 to 2028
| Date | Clocks | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 8 Mar 2026 | forward 1 h, 2:00 am → 3:00 am | CDT (UTC−5) |
| Sun 1 Nov 2026 | back 1 h, 2:00 am → 1:00 am | CST (UTC−6) |
| Sun 14 Mar 2027 | forward 1 h, 2:00 am → 3:00 am | CDT (UTC−5) |
| Sun 7 Nov 2027 | back 1 h, 2:00 am → 1:00 am | CST (UTC−6) |
| Sun 12 Mar 2028 | forward 1 h, 2:00 am → 3:00 am | CDT (UTC−5) |
| Sun 5 Nov 2028 | back 1 h, 2:00 am → 1:00 am | CST (UTC−6) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago is on Central Time: CST, UTC−6, in winter and CDT, UTC−5, in summer. Its tz database zone is America/Chicago.
Is Chicago on Central Time or Eastern Time?
Central Time: CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer, one hour behind New York. The rest of Illinois keeps the same time, while much of neighbouring Indiana and Michigan keep Eastern Time.
Is Texas in the same time zone as Chicago?
Most of it is. Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio keep Central Time like Chicago. The far west of Texas, around El Paso, keeps Mountain Time and is an hour behind.