Chicago to Mexico City
-1hChicago
CDTSOURCEMexico City
CSTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
CDT and CST on the World Map
The map below highlights the CDT (Central Standard Time) and CST (Central Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
CST – Central Standard Time
UTC-06:00Central Standard Time (CST) is the time zone for the central United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6 hours behind UTC.
- •CST covers 20 US states fully or partially.
- •Chicago and Houston are the two largest cities in the Central Time Zone.
- •Mexico City, one of the world's most populous cities, operates on CST.
- •CST is 1 hour behind EST and 2 hours ahead of PST.
CST – Central Standard Time
UTC-06:00Central Standard Time (CST) is the time zone for the central United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6 hours behind UTC.
- •CST covers 20 US states fully or partially.
- •Chicago and Houston are the two largest cities in the Central Time Zone.
- •Mexico City, one of the world's most populous cities, operates on CST.
- •CST is 1 hour behind EST and 2 hours ahead of PST.
About Chicago
WikipediaChicago operates on Central Time (CST/CDT), 1 hour behind New York. Home to CME and CBOE, Chicago is a global center for derivatives trading.
The Chicago Board of Trade is the world's oldest futures and options exchange.
About Mexico City
WikipediaMexico City operates on Central Time (CST/CDT), same as Chicago. As North America's largest city, Mexico City bridges US and Latin American business hours.
Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas.
Everything You Need to Know About Chicago and Mexico City Time
Chicago runs on Central Daylight Time (CDT) at UTC-05:00, currently observing daylight saving time. Mexico City runs on Central Standard Time (CST) at UTC-06:00. That puts Chicago 1 hour behind Mexico City — a difference of -1h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Chicago it is 8:00 AM in Mexico City. Midnight in Chicago is 11:00 PM in Mexico City.Chicago observes daylight saving time while Mexico City does not, so the gap narrows or widens by an hour part of the year.
Chicago to Mexico City time conversion table
| Chicago (CDT) | Mexico City (CST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert Chicago to Mexico City time
- Scheduling a call from Chicago to Mexico City: a 10:00 AM start in Chicago lands at 9:00 AM in Mexico City, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both Chicago and Mexico City are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM CDT time (9:00 AM–4:00 PM CST). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
- Booking travel or deliveries: tracking Mexico City local time against Chicago keeps pickup windows and arrival estimates honest across the -1h offset.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM CDT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -1h gap is not.
- Block 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Chicago and need Mexico City colleagues present.
- Chicago: Clocks fall back on Sun, Nov 1, 2026. Re-check this page after that date because the offset changes and so does the -1h gap.
About CST (Central Standard Time)
Central Standard Time (CST) covers the central region of North America. It is the second most populous time zone in the US, including major cities like Chicago, Houston, and Dallas. CST is also used in Mexico City and much of Central America including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. During summer, most of the US and Canada switch to Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-05:00), while Mexico and Central American countries generally remain on CST.
About CST (Central Standard Time)
Central Standard Time (CST) covers the central region of North America. It is the second most populous time zone in the US, including major cities like Chicago, Houston, and Dallas. CST is also used in Mexico City and much of Central America including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. During summer, most of the US and Canada switch to Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-05:00), while Mexico and Central American countries generally remain on CST.
Best time to call between Chicago and Mexico City
Both Chicago and Mexico City sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT, which is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CST. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
Chicago and Mexico City share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
Chicago is 1 hour behind Mexico City (CDT UTC-05:00 → CST UTC-06:00). The shared working window is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
🕐 Daylight Saving Time Info
Chicago
☀ Currently in DST
Standard: UTC-06:00 · DST: UTC-05:00
Clocks fall back on Sun, Nov 1, 2026
Mexico City
Does not observe DST
Learn More About Time
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of timekeeping, time zones, and how they shape our global society:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between Chicago and Mexico City?
Chicago (CDT, UTC-05:00) is 1 hour behind Mexico City (CST, UTC-06:00). The gap is currently -1h.
How do I convert Chicago time to Mexico City time?
Add -1h to Chicago local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Chicago is 8:00 AM in Mexico City.
What time is it in Mexico City right now?
Mexico City uses CST at UTC-06:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the -1h offset from Chicago.
What is the best time to call Mexico City from Chicago?
Call between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM CDT — that maps to 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CST and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is behind, Chicago or Mexico City?
Chicago is 1 hour behind Mexico City. When it is 12:00 PM in Chicago it is 11:00 AM in Mexico City.
Do Chicago and Mexico City use different time zones?
Chicago (USA) uses CDT at UTC-05:00, while Mexico City (Mexico) uses CST at UTC-06:00. The IANA identifiers are America/Chicago and America/Mexico_City.
Does daylight saving time affect the Chicago–Mexico City difference?
Yes at the moment: Chicago is on daylight saving time and Mexico City is not, so the -1h gap shifts by an hour when exactly one of them changes clocks.
Which other cities share Chicago's time zone?
CDT also covers Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Mexico City, Austin, Winnipeg, Memphis and 6 more.
Which countries use CDT, Chicago's zone?
CDT is used in United States (Central), Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and 1 more.
Is there a day difference between Chicago and Mexico City?
Not normally. The -1h gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between Chicago and Mexico City?
Mexico City is -1h from Chicago.
What timezone is Chicago in?
Chicago operates on Central Time (CST/CDT), 1 hour behind New York. Home to CME and CBOE, Chicago is a global center for derivatives trading.
What timezone is Mexico City in?
Mexico City operates on Central Time (CST/CDT), same as Chicago. As North America's largest city, Mexico City bridges US and Latin American business hours.
What are the business hours in Chicago?
Standard business hours in Chicago are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST.
What are the business hours in Mexico City?
Standard business hours in Mexico City are 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
What is the best time to schedule a call between Chicago and Mexico City?
The best overlap for a call is when both cities are in business hours. Chicago works 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST and Mexico City works 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST (-1h difference). Try scheduling during the overlapping window for maximum convenience.
What currencies are used in Chicago and Mexico City?
Chicago uses USD ($) while Mexico City uses MXN ($). Check current exchange rates when planning travel or business between these cities.
How do Chicago and Mexico City compare in size?
Chicago has a population of approximately 2.7 million (metro: 9.5 million), while Mexico City has approximately 9.2 million (metro: 21.8 million).
What are the major landmarks in Chicago and Mexico City?
Chicago is known for Willis Tower, Millennium Park, Cloud Gate (The Bean). Mexico City is famous for Zócalo, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Chapultepec Castle.
Do Chicago and Mexico City have stock exchanges?
Yes. Chicago has the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), CBOE and Mexico City has the BMV (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores). The -1h time difference affects trading hour overlaps between these exchanges.
Which countries use CST (Central Standard Time)?
CST is used in United States (Central), Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and 3 more countries.
Does CST observe daylight saving time?
Yes, CST switches to CDT during summer months.
What are some interesting facts about CST?
CST covers 20 US states fully or partially. Chicago and Houston are the two largest cities in the Central Time Zone.
Which cities are in the CST timezone?
Major cities in the CST timezone include Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Mexico City, Austin, Winnipeg, Memphis.
What is the UTC offset for CST?
Central Standard Time (CST) is at UTC-06:00. During daylight saving time, it shifts to CDT.
What should I know about the CST timezone?
CST covers 20 US states fully or partially. Chicago and Houston are the two largest cities in the Central Time Zone.
When is it midnight in Chicago, what time is it in Mexico City?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in Chicago (CST), it is -1h later in Mexico City (CST).
Related Developer Tools
Explore more tools that work great with timezone conversions for international teams:
Related Timezone Conversions
More Chicago time conversions
- chicago to new york
- chicago to los angeles
- chicago to denver
- chicago to honolulu
- chicago to anchorage
- chicago to cst
- chicago to cdt
- chicago to toronto
- chicago to vancouver
- chicago to sao paulo
- chicago to buenos aires
- chicago to bogota
- chicago to lima
- chicago to santiago
- chicago to london
- chicago to dubai
- chicago to tokyo
- chicago to singapore
- chicago to sydney
- chicago to paris
- chicago to delhi
- chicago to mumbai
- chicago to berlin
- chicago to hong kong
- chicago to kathmandu
- new york to chicago
- london to chicago
- dubai to chicago
- tokyo to chicago
- singapore to chicago
- sydney to chicago
- los angeles to chicago
- paris to chicago
- delhi to chicago
- mumbai to chicago
See every conversion from Chicago →·See every conversion from Mexico City →