PST to CST converter

PST to CST quick reference

PST or PDT, CST or CDT? Daylight saving explained

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.

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.

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

How the gap changes during the year

Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year.

Working-day overlap, hour by hour

Each row is an hour in Los Angeles. Green means that side is inside a 9–5 working day. There is 6 h of shared 9–5 time; the easiest window is 7 AM–8 PM PST (9 AM–10 PM CST).

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

Example conversions

Questions people ask

What is the time difference between PST and CST?

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

Does the PST to CST 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 PST to CST?

3 PM PST is 5 PM CST. Or just type “3 PM PST” in the converter at the top of this page.

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

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

What time is 9 PM CST in PST?

9 PM CST is 7 PM PST. For other times, type something like “9 PM CST” in the converter.

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.

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.

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.