CST to MST converter

CST to MST quick reference

CST or CDT, MST or MDT? 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.

MST (UTC−7) is the winter name and MDT (UTC−6) the summer name. This page uses Denver time, which changes its clocks. Most of Arizona (Phoenix) stays on MST all year, so in summer Phoenix is an hour behind Denver.

Right now Chicago is on CDT, UTC−5 and Denver is on MDT, UTC−6 (the clocks at the top of the page always show the live values).

How the gap changes during the year

Denver is 1 hour behind 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 8 AM–10 PM CST (7 AM–9 PM MST).

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

Example conversions

Questions people ask

What is the time difference between CST and MST?

Denver is 1 h behind Chicago all year. Right now it is 1 h.

Does the CST to MST 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 MST?

3 PM CST is 2 PM MST. Or just type “3 PM CST” in the converter at the top of this page.

When can US Central time and US Mountain time meet during work hours?

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

What time is 9 PM MST in CST?

9 PM MST is 10 PM CST. For other times, type something like “9 PM MST” 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 MST or MDT?

MST (UTC−7) is the winter name and MDT (UTC−6) the summer name. This page uses Denver time, which changes its clocks. Most of Arizona (Phoenix) stays on MST all year, so in summer Phoenix is an hour behind Denver.

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