CST to PST converter

CST to PST quick reference

CST or CDT, PST or PDT? 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.

PST (UTC−8) is the winter name and PDT (UTC−7) the summer name. People usually write “PST” all year and mean local Pacific time (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle), so MeetETA reads it that way and handles daylight saving for you.

Right now Chicago is on CDT, UTC−5 and Los Angeles is on PDT, UTC−7 (the clocks at the top of the page always show the live values).

How the gap changes during the year

Los Angeles is 2 hours 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 6 h of shared 9–5 time; the easiest window is 9 AM–10 PM CST (7 AM–8 PM PST).

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

Example conversions

Questions people ask

What is the time difference between CST and PST?

Los Angeles is 2 h behind Chicago all year. Right now it is 2 h.

Does the CST to PST 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 PST?

3 PM CST is 1 PM PST. Or just type “3 PM CST” in the converter at the top of this page.

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

There is 6 h of shared 9–5 time; the most comfortable window is 9 AM–10 PM CST (7 AM–8 PM PST).

What time is 9 PM PST in CST?

9 PM PST is 11 PM CST. For other times, type something like “9 PM PST” 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 PST or PDT?

PST (UTC−8) is the winter name and PDT (UTC−7) the summer name. People usually write “PST” all year and mean local Pacific time (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle), so MeetETA reads it that way and handles daylight saving for you.

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.