Does it account for Daylight Saving Time?

Yes, our converter uses the IANA timezone database, which includes all current DST rules for every timezone in the world.

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks. All timezones are defined as offsets from UTC.

Can I compare multiple timezones at once?

Yes, you can add multiple cities or timezones and see the equivalent times side by side.

How many timezones are there in the world?

There are 38 distinct UTC offsets in use, ranging from UTC-12 to UTC+14. This includes half-hour (UTC+5:30 India, UTC+9:30 Australia) and 45-minute offsets (UTC+5:45 Nepal, UTC+8:45 Australia).

What is the International Date Line?

The International Date Line (IDL) runs roughly along the 180° meridian in the Pacific Ocean. When you cross it westward, you gain a day; crossing eastward, you lose a day.

Why do some timezones have 30 or 45 minute offsets?

Countries chose offsets that best matched their solar noon. India uses UTC+5:30 and Nepal uses UTC+5:45 because standard hourly offsets didn't align well with their geography.

Which country has the most timezones?

France has the most (12 timezones) due to overseas territories. Russia spans 11 timezones. The US has 6 (including Hawaii and Alaska).

Chicago to EDT

+1h

Chicago

CDTSOURCE

USA · UTC-05:00☀ DST active

HH12

MM00

12:00 (24-hr)

12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM

EDT

UTC-04:00☀ DST active

HH01

MM00

13:00 (24-hr)

12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM

Quick Reference

Time Conversion Table

Chicago

EDT

12:00 AM

1:00 AM

2:00 AM

3:00 AM

4:00 AM

5:00 AM

6:00 AM

7:00 AM

8:00 AM

9:00 AM

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

12:00 PM

1:00 PM

2:00 PM

3:00 PM

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

6:00 PM

7:00 PM

8:00 PM

9:00 PM

10:00 PM

11:00 PM

Green rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)

CDT and EDT on the World Map

The map below highlights the CDT (Central Standard Time) and EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) timezone regions across the globe.

CDT Zone

→

EDT Zone

Explore all world timezones interactively →

CST – Central Standard Time

UTC-06:00

Central Standard Time (CST) is the time zone for the central United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6 hours behind UTC.

Countries in CST

United States (Central)Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan)MexicoGuatemalaHondurasEl SalvadorCosta RicaNicaraguaBelize

Major Cities in CST

ChicagoHoustonDallasSan AntonioMexico CityAustinWinnipegMemphisMilwaukeeNashvilleKansas CityNew OrleansMinneapolisGuatemala City

Key Facts about CST

•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.

Daylight Saving:Yes – switches to CDT

Learn more about CST on Wikipedia

EDT – Eastern Daylight Time

UTC-04:00

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is the daylight saving time observed in the Eastern Time Zone, 4 hours behind UTC.

Countries in EDT

United States (Eastern)Canada (Ontario, Quebec)BahamasHaitiTurks and Caicos

Major Cities in EDT

New York CityWashington D.C.TorontoMiamiPhiladelphiaAtlantaBostonMontreal

Key Facts about EDT

•EDT is observed from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
•During EDT, the US East Coast is only 4 hours behind London (instead of 5).
•Not all EST locations switch to EDT – Panama and Jamaica stay on EST year-round.

Daylight Saving:Yes – switches to EST

Learn more about EDT on Wikipedia

About Chicago

Wikipedia

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.

Population:2.7 million

Metro:9.5 million

Business Hours:8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST

Currency:USD ($)

Stock Exchange:CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), CBOE

Key Landmarks

Willis TowerMillennium ParkCloud Gate (The Bean)Navy PierArt Institute of Chicago

Did You Know?

The Chicago Board of Trade is the world's oldest futures and options exchange.

Learn more about CDT timezone →

Comparing Time Zones: Chicago and EDT

Chicago runs on Central Daylight Time (CDT) at UTC-05:00, currently observing daylight saving time. EDT runs on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) at UTC-04:00. That puts Chicago 1 hour ahead of EDT — a difference of +1h at the current offsets.

In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Chicago it is 10:00 AM in EDT. Midnight in Chicago is 1:00 AM in EDT.Chicago observes daylight saving time while EDT does not, so the gap narrows or widens by an hour part of the year.

Chicago to EDT time conversion table

Chicago (CDT)	EDT (EDT)	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 Chicago to EDT time

Scheduling a call from Chicago to EDT: a 10:00 AM start in Chicago lands at 11:00 AM in EDT, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
Finding shared working hours: both Chicago and EDT are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM CDT time (10:00 AM–5:00 PM EDT). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
Coordinating a Chicago-based team with EDT contacts: quoting times in the other side's local clock — not your own — removes the single biggest source of missed meetings.

Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM CDT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a +1h gap is not.
Block 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CDT as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Chicago and need EDT 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 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is used during the summer months (second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November) in the Eastern Time Zone. During EDT, clocks are advanced by one hour to take advantage of longer daylight hours. Not all locations in the Eastern Time Zone observe DST – Panama, Jamaica, and most of the Caribbean remain on EST year-round.

Best time to call between Chicago and EDT

Both Chicago and EDT sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CDT, which is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EDT. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.

Business hours overlap

Chicago and EDT share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (9:00 AM–4:00 PM CDT), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.

Chicago is 1 hour ahead of EDT (CDT UTC-05:00 → EDT UTC-04:00). The shared working window is 9:00 AM–4:00 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

EDT

☀ Currently in DST

Standard: UTC-05:00 · DST: UTC-04:00

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:

⏳

History of Timekeeping

From sundials to atomic clocks - 5000 years of measuring time

🌍

How Time Zones Work

UTC, offsets, and why zones don't follow straight lines

☀️

Daylight Saving Time

DST dates, which countries observe it, and the ongoing debate

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time difference between Chicago and EDT?

Chicago (CDT, UTC-05:00) is 1 hour ahead of EDT (EDT, UTC-04:00). The gap is currently +1h.

How do I convert Chicago time to EDT time?

Add +1h to Chicago local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Chicago is 10:00 AM in EDT.

What time is it in EDT right now?

EDT uses EDT at UTC-04:00. 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 EDT from Chicago?

Call between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM CDT — that maps to 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EDT and keeps both parties inside the working day.

Which is ahead, Chicago or EDT?

Chicago is 1 hour ahead of EDT. When it is 12:00 PM in Chicago it is 1:00 PM in EDT.

Do Chicago and EDT use different time zones?

Chicago (USA) uses CDT at UTC-05:00, while EDT uses EDT at UTC-04:00. The IANA identifiers are America/Chicago and America/New_York.

Does daylight saving time affect the Chicago–EDT difference?

Yes at the moment: Chicago is on daylight saving time and EDT 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 EDT?

Not normally. The +1h gap only pushes the date over for late-evening times.

What is the time difference between Chicago and EDT?

EDT 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 EDT in?

EDT operates on its local timezone.

What are the business hours in Chicago?

Standard business hours in Chicago are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST.

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 EDT timezone?

Major cities in the EDT timezone include New York City, Washington D.C., Toronto, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Montreal.

What is the UTC offset for EDT?

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is at UTC-04:00. During daylight saving time, it shifts to EST.

What should I know about the EDT timezone?

EDT is observed from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. During EDT, the US East Coast is only 4 hours behind London (instead of 5).