Time zone
CST / CDT — the standard and daylight abbreviations for Chicago.
Current local time
Current Time in Chicago
Check the current time in Chicago, United States. Chicago follows Central Time, UTC-6 in winter and UTC-5 during daylight saving from March to November.
01:13:14
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Central Daylight Time — UTC-5
Chicago time zone at a glance
The key facts for Chicago, United States, and how its clock relates to UTC.
About time in Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the Central Time Zone, sitting at UTC-6 in winter and shifting to UTC-5 for Central Daylight Time in the warmer half of the year. It runs one hour behind New York and two hours ahead of Los Angeles, making it a natural midpoint for coordinating calls across the country. The city's CME Group and Chicago Board of Trade keep commodity and futures markets humming on Central hours. For much of the Midwest, Chicago's clock is the reference everyone sets their day by.
Chicago changes its clocks for daylight saving time, so its exact UTC offset depends on the season (UTC-6 (UTC-5 in summer)). The live clock above reads Chicago's local time directly from the IANA time zone database in your browser, so it stays accurate through daylight-saving transitions without any manual adjustment. To plan a call or convert a specific moment, use the timezone converter or meeting planner linked below.
Frequently asked questions about Chicago time
Does Chicago observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Chicago switches to Central Daylight Time (UTC-5) on the second Sunday in March and back to Central Standard Time (UTC-6) on the first Sunday in November.
What is the time difference between Chicago and New York?
Chicago is one hour behind New York. When it is noon in Chicago, it is 1:00 p.m. in New York throughout the year.
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago is in the Central Time Zone, using CST (UTC-6) in winter and CDT (UTC-5) in summer, under the IANA zone America/Chicago.
Current time in other cities
Compare Chicago with other major world clocks.
New York Current local time in New York, United States (UTC-5 (UTC-4 in summer)). Los Angeles Current local time in Los Angeles, United States (UTC-8 (UTC-7 in summer)). Houston Current local time in Houston, United States (UTC-6 (UTC-5 in summer)). Phoenix Current local time in Phoenix, United States (UTC-7 (no DST)). Denver Current local time in Denver, United States (UTC-7 (UTC-6 in summer)). Seattle Current local time in Seattle, United States (UTC-8 (UTC-7 in summer)).
Time tools for Chicago
Learn about time zones
Background guides that explain how Chicago's clock relates to the rest of the world.