CST to EST converter

CST to EST quick reference

CST or CDT, EST or EDT? Daylight saving explained

CST (UTC−6) is the winter name and CDT (UTC−5) the summer name. “CST” usually means local Central time (Chicago, Dallas, Houston) whatever the season, so MeetETA reads it that way and handles daylight saving for the date you pick.

EST (UTC−5) is the winter name and EDT (UTC−4) the summer name. Most people write “EST” all year and mean whatever the clocks say in New York, so MeetETA reads EST as local Eastern time on the date you pick, and says so when that date is on EDT.

Right now Chicago is on CDT, UTC−5 and New York is on EDT, UTC−4 (the clocks at the top of the page always show the live values).

How the gap changes during the year

New York is 1 hour ahead of Chicago all year.

Working-day overlap, hour by hour

Each row is an hour in Chicago. Green means that side is inside a 9–5 working day. There is 7 h of shared 9–5 time; the easiest window is 7 AM–9 PM CST (8 AM–10 PM EST).

Shows Chicago 5 AM to 10 PM. Times on the New York side may fall on the next day.

Example conversions

Questions people ask

What is the time difference between CST and EST?

New York is 1 h ahead of Chicago all year. Right now it is 1 h.

Does the CST to EST difference change with daylight saving?

Both sides use daylight saving, so the gap only changes when they switch on different dates.

How do I convert 3 PM CST to EST?

3 PM CST is 4 PM EST. Or just type “3 PM CST” in the converter at the top of this page.

When can US Central time and the US East Coast meet during work hours?

There is 7 h of shared 9–5 time; the most comfortable window is 7 AM–9 PM CST (8 AM–10 PM EST).

What time is 9 PM EST in CST?

9 PM EST is 8 PM CST. For other times, type something like “9 PM EST” in the converter.

Should I write CST or CDT?

CST (UTC−6) is the winter name and CDT (UTC−5) the summer name. “CST” usually means local Central time (Chicago, Dallas, Houston) whatever the season, so MeetETA reads it that way and handles daylight saving for the date you pick.

Should I write EST or EDT?

EST (UTC−5) is the winter name and EDT (UTC−4) the summer name. Most people write “EST” all year and mean whatever the clocks say in New York, so MeetETA reads EST as local Eastern time on the date you pick, and says so when that date is on EDT.

Is MeetETA free?

Yes. MeetETA is free, shows no ads and needs no account. Your cities and settings stay in your browser, and where consent is required, analytics only load after you accept cookies.