CAT to Mexico City
-8hCAT
CATSOURCEMexico City
CSTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
CAT and CST on the World Map
The map below highlights the CAT (Central Africa Time) and CST (Central Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
CAT – Central Africa Time
UTC+02:00Central Africa Time (CAT, UTC+02:00) covers Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and neighbouring countries.
- •Central Africa Time is fixed at UTC+02:00 with no daylight saving.
- •CAT matches South Africa Standard Time (SAST) all year.
- •It is the same offset as Central European Time in winter.
- •Harare is level with Johannesburg and one hour ahead of Lagos.
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 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 CAT and Mexico City Time
CAT runs on Central Africa Time (CAT) at UTC+02:00. Mexico City runs on Central Standard Time (CST) at UTC-06:00. That puts CAT 8 hours behind Mexico City — a difference of -8h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in CAT it is 1:00 AM in Mexico City. Midnight in CAT is 4:00 PM in Mexico City. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
CAT to Mexico City time conversion table
| CAT (CAT) | Mexico City (CST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 4:00 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 10:00 PM | previous day |
| 7:00 AM | 11:00 PM | previous day |
| 8:00 AM | 12:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 1:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 4:00 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 7:00 AM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 10:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 1:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert CAT to Mexico City time
- Scheduling a call from CAT to Mexico City: a 10:00 AM start in CAT lands at 2:00 AM in Mexico City, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Handling a -8h gap: CAT and Mexico City have no overlap inside a normal 9-to-5 day, so real-time meetings need an early-morning or late-evening slot on one side. 9:00 AM in Mexico City is 1:00 AM in CAT.
- Booking travel or deliveries: tracking Mexico City local time against CAT keeps pickup windows and arrival estimates honest across the -8h offset.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM CAT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -8h gap is not.
- With a -8h gap there is no shared 9-to-5 window, so alternate the early start: one week CAT takes the early slot, the next week Mexico City does.
About CAT (Central Africa Time)
Central Africa Time (CAT) is fixed at UTC+02:00 all year across a broad belt of southern and central Africa, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. None of these countries observes daylight saving time, so CAT never shifts. It is the same offset as South Africa Standard Time (SAST) and the winter version of Central European Time, which makes CAT a convenient bridge between African, European and Middle Eastern schedules — Harare is level with Johannesburg all year and one hour ahead of Lagos.
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 CAT and Mexico City
With a -8h offset there is no overlap inside a normal 9 AM – 5 PM day. Mexico City opens at 9:00 AM CST, which is 1:00 AM in CAT, so real-time calls need an early-morning or late-evening slot on one side.
Business hours overlap
CAT and Mexico City have no shared working hours because of the -8h gap. Teams need to alternate early starts or rely on asynchronous handovers.
CAT is 8 hours behind Mexico City (CAT UTC+02:00 → CST UTC-06:00). There is no shared 9-to-5 window, so plan around an early or late slot. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
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 CAT and Mexico City?
CAT (CAT, UTC+02:00) is 8 hours behind Mexico City (CST, UTC-06:00). The gap is currently -8h.
How do I convert CAT time to Mexico City time?
Add -8h to CAT local time. For example, 9:00 AM in CAT is 1:00 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 -8h offset from CAT.
What is the best time to call Mexico City from CAT?
There is no shared working-hours window because of the -8h gap. The closest option is 1:00 PM in CAT, which is 5:00 AM in Mexico City.
Which is behind, CAT or Mexico City?
CAT is 8 hours behind Mexico City. When it is 12:00 PM in CAT it is 4:00 AM in Mexico City.
Do CAT and Mexico City use different time zones?
CAT uses CAT at UTC+02:00, while Mexico City (Mexico) uses CST at UTC-06:00. The IANA identifiers are Africa/Harare and America/Mexico_City.
Does daylight saving time affect the CAT–Mexico City difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the -8h offset between CAT and Mexico City is fixed all year.
Which other cities share CAT's time zone?
CAT also covers Harare, Lusaka, Maputo, Lilongwe, Kigali.
Which countries use CAT, CAT's zone?
CAT is used in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo (east).
Is there a day difference between CAT and Mexico City?
Not normally. The -8h gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between CAT and Mexico City?
Mexico City is -8h from CAT.
What timezone is CAT in?
CAT operates on its local timezone.
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 Mexico City?
Standard business hours in Mexico City are 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
Which countries use CAT (Central Africa Time)?
CAT is used in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, and 1 more countries.
Does CAT observe daylight saving time?
No, CAT does not observe daylight saving time and remains at UTC+02:00 year-round.
What are some interesting facts about CAT?
Central Africa Time is fixed at UTC+02:00 with no daylight saving. CAT matches South Africa Standard Time (SAST) all year.
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 CAT, what time is it in Mexico City?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in CAT (CAT), it is -8h later in Mexico City (CST).
Related Developer Tools
Explore more tools that work great with timezone conversions for international teams:
Related Timezone Conversions
More CAT time conversions
- cat to new york
- cat to london
- cat to dubai
- cat to tokyo
- cat to singapore
- cat to sydney
- cat to los angeles
- cat to paris
- cat to delhi
- cat to mumbai
- cat to berlin
- cat to hong kong
- cat to toronto
- cat to kathmandu
- new york to cat
- london to cat
- dubai to cat
- tokyo to cat
- singapore to cat
- sydney to cat
- los angeles to cat
- paris to cat
- delhi to cat
- mumbai to cat
- berlin to cat
- hong kong to cat
- toronto to cat
- kathmandu to cat
See every conversion from CAT →·See every conversion from Mexico City →