CST time now

Central Standard TimeUTC−6

Chicago is not on CST right now (it is on CDT), but other places are.

CST in other time zones, now

Observatory log

CST, observed

01Stands for

Central Standard Time

UTC−6 · America/Chicago

02When it is used

CST is the standard (winter) time of Chicago; in summer the clocks switch to CDT.

Nextin use in Chicago from 1 November 2026 to 14 March 2027

Thenin use in Chicago from 7 November 2027

CDT: Central Daylight Time

03In use right now

In 13 time zones

Mexico City, Monterrey, Guatemala, Managua, Tegucigalpa, Mérida, Chihuahua, San Salvador, San Jose, Saskatoon, Belize City, Bahia Banderas

Part of the next 12 months: Chicago, Ciudad Juárez, Calgary, Reynosa, Iron Mountain, Inuvik, Rankin Inlet, Resolute.

All year: Mexico City, Monterrey, Guatemala, Managua, Tegucigalpa, Mérida, Chihuahua, San Salvador.

04Countries

Mexico City Guadalajara Chicago Houston Monterrey Torreón Ciudad Juárez Calgary Edmonton Guatemala Quetzaltenango Managua León Tegucigalpa San Pedro Sula Mérida Campeche Chihuahua

Meanings

CST can mean more than one time

Abbreviations are not unique. Check which one is meant before you convert a time; an IANA zone or a city name is never ambiguous.

Central Standard TimeUTC−6this page
China Standard TimeUTC+8Asia/Shanghai
Cuba Standard TimeUTC−5America/Havana

All time zones

Questions

Asked about CST

What is CST?

CST stands for Central Standard Time, which is UTC−6. The clock at the top of this page shows the current CST time, live. The letters CST are also used for: China Standard Time (UTC+8); Cuba Standard Time (UTC−5).

Is CST in use right now?

Chicago is not on CST right now (it is on CDT), but other places are. CST is the standard (winter) time of Chicago; in summer the clocks switch to CDT.

Is it CST or CDT now?

Chicago is on CDT now; it returns to CST on 1 November 2026.