Time Zone Guide
Time Difference in Chicago
Chicago's current local time, and how it compares with cities around the world
This page shows Chicago's live local time and helps you compare it with another city — useful for scheduling international calls and business meetings.
Compare Chicago with another city
Search a city to see the current time difference with Chicago.
Need to compare more than two cities at once? Try Compare Time Zones →
Popular Chicago Time Differences
Updated live, and adjusted automatically for daylight saving time.
Chicago Business Hours Around the World
Chicago's 9:00 AM–5:00 PM working day, converted to local time elsewhere.
Coordinating Chicago hours with the UK in particular? The Chicago–London meeting guide sets out which hours genuinely work for both cities, including the weeks when the usual six-hour gap narrows to five.
Chicago Time Zone & Daylight Saving Time
Chicago uses the America/Chicago time zone, part of US Central Time. Its UTC offset moves between UTC−6 (Central Standard Time, in winter) and UTC−5 (Central Daylight Time, in summer), so its gap with other cities isn't always the same.
For a few weeks each spring and autumn, the difference with places like London or Zurich can shift by an hour, because the United States and Europe change their clocks for daylight saving time on different dates. Countries that don't observe daylight saving time at all — much of Asia included — see their difference with Chicago shift too, just on the US side of the calendar. When arranging an international meeting involving Chicago, it's worth checking the actual current difference rather than assuming it's fixed, especially when scheduling weeks or months ahead.
Convert a specific date and time → Compare multiple cities at once → Find the best meeting time →
All city time differences → Time difference in New York → Time difference in Dallas →
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago uses the America/Chicago time zone, commonly known as Central Time. It observes daylight saving time, so its UTC offset changes twice a year.
Is Chicago on CST or CDT?
It depends on the date. Chicago uses Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5) during daylight saving time and Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−6) the rest of the year. The current abbreviation is shown live at the top of this page.
How many hours behind London is Chicago?
Chicago is typically 6 hours behind London, but this can temporarily shift to 5 hours for a few weeks each spring and autumn, since the US and UK change their clocks for daylight saving time on different dates. Use the comparison tool on this page for the exact current difference.
What is the time difference between Chicago and New York?
Chicago is normally 1 hour behind New York, since Central Time sits one hour behind Eastern Time. Both observe daylight saving time on the same schedule, so this difference stays constant throughout the year.
Does Chicago observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Like most of the United States, Chicago moves its clocks forward in spring (Central Daylight Time) and back in autumn (Central Standard Time).
How can I find the best meeting time between Chicago and another city?
Use the free International Meeting Planner, which compares working hours across multiple cities and recommends the most convenient meeting times automatically.