Denver to Chicago
+1hDenver
MDTSOURCEChicago
CDTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
MDT and CDT on the World Map
The map below highlights the MDT (Mountain Standard Time) and CDT (Central Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
MST – Mountain Standard Time
UTC-07:00Mountain Standard Time (MST) is the time zone for the Mountain region of North America, 7 hours behind UTC.
- •Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, staying on MST year-round.
- •The Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe DST, unlike the rest of the state.
- •Denver, the 'Mile High City', is the largest city fully in MST.
- •MST covers 6 US states entirely and parts of several others.
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 Denver
WikipediaDenver operates on Mountain Time (MST/MDT), 2 hours behind New York. As a tech and aerospace hub, Denver bridges West Coast and Central US business hours.
Denver International Airport is the largest airport in North America by land area.
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.
Denver vs Chicago: Offsets, DST and Best Call Times
Denver runs on Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) at UTC-06:00, currently observing daylight saving time. Chicago runs on Central Daylight Time (CDT) at UTC-05:00, also currently on daylight saving time. That puts Denver 1 hour ahead of Chicago — a difference of +1h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Denver it is 10:00 AM in Chicago. Midnight in Denver is 1:00 AM in Chicago. Because both zones shift for daylight saving, the gap between them only changes during the few weeks each year when their transition dates differ.
Denver to Chicago time conversion table
| Denver (MDT) | Chicago (CDT) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 1:00 AM | same day |
| 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 10:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert Denver to Chicago time
- Scheduling a call from Denver to Chicago: a 10:00 AM start in Denver lands at 11:00 AM in Chicago, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both Denver and Chicago are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM MDT time (10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
- Booking travel or deliveries: tracking Chicago local time against Denver keeps pickup windows and arrival estimates honest across the +1h offset.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM MDT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a +1h gap is not.
- Block 9:00 AM–4:00 PM MDT as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Denver and need Chicago colleagues present.
- Denver: 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.
- Chicago: Clocks fall back on Sun, Nov 1, 2026. Any meeting series spanning that date will shift by an hour in local time.
About MST (Mountain Standard Time)
Mountain Standard Time (MST) covers the Rocky Mountain region of the United States and Canada. Arizona is notable for not observing daylight saving time, staying on MST year-round (except the Navajo Nation). The time zone includes major cities like Denver, Phoenix, Calgary, and Salt Lake City. During summer, most areas switch to Mountain Daylight Time (MDT, UTC-06:00).
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 Denver and Chicago
Both Denver and Chicago sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 9:00 AM–4:00 PM MDT, which is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
Denver and Chicago share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (9:00 AM–4:00 PM MDT), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
Denver is 1 hour ahead of Chicago (MDT UTC-06:00 → CDT UTC-05:00). The shared working window is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM MDT. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
🕐 Daylight Saving Time Info
Denver
☀ Currently in DST
Standard: UTC-07:00 · DST: UTC-06:00
Clocks fall back on Sun, Nov 1, 2026
Chicago
☀ Currently in DST
Standard: UTC-06:00 · DST: UTC-05:00
Clocks fall back on Sun, Nov 1, 2026
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 Denver and Chicago?
Denver (MDT, UTC-06:00) is 1 hour ahead of Chicago (CDT, UTC-05:00). The gap is currently +1h.
How do I convert Denver time to Chicago time?
Add +1h to Denver local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Denver is 10:00 AM in Chicago.
What time is it in Chicago right now?
Chicago uses CDT at UTC-05:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the +1h offset from Denver.
What is the best time to call Chicago from Denver?
Call between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM MDT — that maps to 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CDT and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is ahead, Denver or Chicago?
Denver is 1 hour ahead of Chicago. When it is 12:00 PM in Denver it is 1:00 PM in Chicago.
Do Denver and Chicago use different time zones?
Denver (USA) uses MDT at UTC-06:00, while Chicago (USA) uses CDT at UTC-05:00. The IANA identifiers are America/Denver and America/Chicago.
Does daylight saving time affect the Denver–Chicago difference?
Both zones observe DST, so the difference stays at +1h for most of the year and only changes during the weeks when their transition dates do not line up.
Which other cities share Denver's time zone?
MDT also covers Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Calgary, Edmonton, Albuquerque, El Paso, Tucson and 2 more.
Which countries use MDT, Denver's zone?
MDT is used in United States (Mountain), Canada (Alberta), Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora).
Is there a day difference between Denver and Chicago?
Not normally. The +1h gap only pushes the date over for late-evening times.
What is the time difference between Denver and Chicago?
Chicago is +1h from Denver.
What timezone is Denver in?
Denver operates on Mountain Time (MST/MDT), 2 hours behind New York. As a tech and aerospace hub, Denver bridges West Coast and Central US business hours.
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 are the business hours in Denver?
Standard business hours in Denver are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST.
What are the business hours in Chicago?
Standard business hours in Chicago are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST.
What is the best time to schedule a call between Denver and Chicago?
The best overlap for a call is when both cities are in business hours. Denver works 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST and Chicago works 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST (+1h difference). Try scheduling during the overlapping window for maximum convenience.
How do Denver and Chicago compare in size?
Denver has a population of approximately 715,000 (metro: 2.9 million), while Chicago has approximately 2.7 million (metro: 9.5 million).
What are the major landmarks in Denver and Chicago?
Denver is known for Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver Art Museum, Union Station. Chicago is famous for Willis Tower, Millennium Park, Cloud Gate (The Bean).
Do Denver and Chicago have stock exchanges?
Yes. Denver has the N/A (Uses NYSE/NASDAQ) and Chicago has the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), CBOE. The +1h time difference affects trading hour overlaps between these exchanges.
Which countries use MST (Mountain Standard Time)?
MST is used in United States (Mountain), Canada (Alberta), Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora).
Does MST observe daylight saving time?
Yes, MST switches to MDT during summer months.
What are some interesting facts about MST?
Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, staying on MST year-round. The Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe DST, unlike the rest of the state.
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 Denver, what time is it in Chicago?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in Denver (MST), it is +1h later in Chicago (CST).
Related Developer Tools
Explore more tools that work great with timezone conversions for international teams:
Related Timezone Conversions
More Denver time conversions
- denver to new york
- denver to los angeles
- denver to honolulu
- denver to anchorage
- denver to mst
- denver to mdt
- denver to toronto
- denver to vancouver
- denver to mexico city
- denver to sao paulo
- denver to buenos aires
- denver to bogota
- denver to lima
- denver to santiago
- denver to london
- denver to dubai
- denver to tokyo
- denver to singapore
- denver to sydney
- denver to paris
- denver to delhi
- denver to mumbai
- denver to berlin
- denver to hong kong
- denver to kathmandu
- new york to denver
- london to denver
- dubai to denver
- tokyo to denver
- singapore to denver
- sydney to denver
- los angeles to denver
- paris to denver
- delhi to denver
- mumbai to denver
See every conversion from Denver →·See every conversion from Chicago →