Current Local Time in Chicago
Chicago, United States (CDT)
Friday, April 24, 2026
Chicago follows Central Time (CT). The city observes Daylight Saving Time, switching between CST (UTC−6) and CDT (UTC−5).
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Business hours: 9 AM – 5 PM · Overlap calculated on open
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💡CME trading: 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM CT
⏰Time Zone Facts
America/ChicagoData: IANA Time Zone Database
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☀️Climate
Humid continental with hot summers (22-30°C) and cold winters (-6 to 2°C). Famous for wind off Lake Michigan.
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📍About Chicago Time Zone
Chicago is in the America/Chicago time zone (UTC-5). Chicago observes Daylight Saving Time.
Chicago Time Difference at a Glance
Quick Facts: Chicago Time
- Time Zone: America/Chicago (UTC-5)
- Daylight Saving: Observed
- Country: United States
- Coordinates: 41.88, -87.63
- Calling Code: +1 312
Last updated: March 2026 | Verified by whattime.city Editorial Team | Timezone data sourced from IANA Time Zone Database (America/Chicago).
🌐Time Difference from Chicago
| City | Now | Diff | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌙New York | 9:44 PM | +1h | |
| 🌆Los Angeles | 6:44 PM | -2h | |
| 🌙London | 2:44 AM | +6h | |
| 🌅Tokyo | 10:44 AM | +14h | |
| 🌙Toronto | 9:44 PM | +1h | |
| 🌙Frankfurt | 3:44 AM | +7h | |
| 🌙São Paulo | 10:44 PM | +2h | |
| 🌅Hong Kong | 9:44 AM | +13h |
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Chicago, Illinois, USA uses Central Standard Time (CST, UTC-6) in winter and Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-5) in summer. The IANA identifier is America/Chicago. Clocks spring forward on the second Sunday of March and fall back on the first Sunday of November. Chicago is 1 hour behind New York and 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles year-round. The IANA identifier is America/Chicago.
Chicago is in the Central Time Zone, using Central Standard Time (CST, UTC-6) in winter and Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-5) in summer. The Central Time Zone covers Illinois, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Louisiana. Chicago is the largest city in the Central Time Zone and a major US business hub. The IANA identifier is America/Chicago.
Yes. Chicago clocks spring forward 1 hour to CDT (UTC-5) on the second Sunday of March at 2:00 AM, and fall back to CST (UTC-6) on the first Sunday of November at 2:00 AM. This is the same schedule as the rest of the contiguous US (except Arizona and Hawaii). The change shifts Chicago's offset from London by 1 hour: 6 hours behind in winter, 5 hours behind in summer.
Chicago (CST/CDT) is consistently 1 hour behind New York (EST/EDT) year-round. Both cities observe daylight saving time on the same schedule, so the gap is always exactly 1 hour. When it is 9:00 AM in New York, it is 8:00 AM in Chicago. When it is 5:00 PM in Chicago, it is 6:00 PM in New York.
Chicago (CST/CDT) is consistently 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles (PST/PDT) year-round. Both cities observe daylight saving time on the same schedule, so the gap is always exactly 2 hours. When it is 9:00 AM in Los Angeles, it is 11:00 AM in Chicago.
Chicago is 6 hours behind London during CST (November–March) and 5 hours behind during CDT when the UK is on BST (March–October). When it is 9:00 AM in Chicago (CST), it is 3:00 PM in London. The best window for Chicago–London calls is 9:00 AM–11:00 AM CST (3:00–5:00 PM London GMT).
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) operates nearly 24 hours for electronic trading (Sunday–Friday 5:00 PM–4:00 PM CT, with a 60-minute daily halt at 4:00 PM). Chicago is also home to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) — making it the world's largest derivatives trading centre. The IANA identifier for Chicago is America/Chicago.
From London (GMT in winter), call Chicago between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM GMT — that is 9:00 AM–12:00 PM CST in Chicago. During UK summer (BST, UTC+1), call between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM BST. From Paris or Berlin (CET, UTC+1 in winter), call between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM local time to catch Chicago's morning hours.
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