Clockjumper

Timezone conversion

EST to CST Converter (2026)

CST (US Central Standard Time) is 1 hour behind EST (US Eastern Standard Time). When it's 10:00 AM EST in New York, it's 9:00 AM CST in Chicago or Dallas. Both zones observe daylight saving on the same weekends, so the 1-hour gap holds all year.

Last updated June 25, 2026 · Maintained by Clockjumper

Quick answer

CST is 1h behind EST. Subtract 1 hour from EST to get CST. Cross-country scheduling between the two US zones is almost frictionless — 9 AM – 5 PM EST is 8 AM – 4 PM CST, a full-day overlap in normal working hours.

CST is currently 1h behind EST.

Right now New York (US East Coast) is on EDT (UTC-4) and Chicago / Dallas / Houston (US Central) on CDT (UTC-5). This flips back to the standard EST/CST gap once daylight saving ends.

New York (US East Coast) • EDT (UTC-4)
11:34 PM
Thursday, Jul 2
Chicago / Dallas / Houston (US Central) • CDT (UTC-5)
10:34 PM
Thursday, Jul 2

Live clocks above use each region's current local time (DST-aware). The reference table below uses the fixed EST → CST standard offset — see the DST section for how the gap changes across the year.

Interactive converter

12:00PM

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Key conversion times

  • 8:00 AM EST7:00 AM CST
    Pre-workday in New York — very early in Chicago
  • 9:00 AM EST8:00 AM CST
    Start of the New York workday — pre-work in Chicago
  • 10:00 AM EST9:00 AM CST
    NYC mid-morning — start of the Chicago workday
  • 1:00 PM EST12:00 PM CST
    New York early afternoon — Chicago noon
  • 5:00 PM EST4:00 PM CST
    End of the New York workday — Chicago late afternoon

Full EST to CST conversion table

EST (New York)CST (Chicago)
12:00 AM11:00 PM(previous day)
1:00 AM12:00 AM
2:00 AM1:00 AM
3:00 AM2:00 AM
4:00 AM3:00 AM
5:00 AM4:00 AM
6:00 AM5:00 AM
7:00 AM6:00 AM
8:00 AM7:00 AM
9:00 AM8:00 AM
10:00 AM9:00 AM
11:00 AM10:00 AM
12:00 PM11:00 AM
1:00 PM12:00 PM
2:00 PM1:00 PM
3:00 PM2:00 PM
4:00 PM3:00 PM
5:00 PM4:00 PM
6:00 PM5:00 PM
7:00 PM6:00 PM
8:00 PM7:00 PM
9:00 PM8:00 PM
10:00 PM9:00 PM
11:00 PM10:00 PM

Daylight saving and how the gap changes

Both the US Eastern zone (EST → EDT) and the US Central zone (CST → CDT) switch to daylight saving on the second Sunday of March and revert on the first Sunday of November. They move together, so the Eastern ↔ Central gap is always exactly 1 hour. Abbreviations change seasonally, but the difference between New York and Chicago does not.

Common mistake: abbreviation collision

This page uses "CST" as US Central Standard Time (America/Chicago, UTC-6). China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC-5) share the abbreviation but are separate zones.

Frequently asked questions

What is the time difference between EST and CST?
CST (US Central Standard Time, UTC-6) is 1 hour behind EST (US Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5). When it's 10:00 AM EST in New York, it's 9:00 AM CST in Chicago.
What time is 9 AM EST in CST?
9:00 AM EST is 8:00 AM CST the same day.
What time is 5 PM EST in CST?
5:00 PM EST is 4:00 PM CST the same day.
Does daylight saving change the EST-to-CST gap?
No. Both US zones switch to daylight saving on the same weekends, so the gap stays 1 hour year-round.
Does "CST" here mean Chicago or Shanghai?
Chicago. This page uses US Central Standard Time (America/Chicago, UTC-6). China Standard Time (UTC+8) uses the same abbreviation but is a different zone entirely.

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