CST to EST Converter
Eastern Time is 1 hour ahead of Central Time all year: CST to EST in winter, CDT to EDT in summer. Both regions change clocks on the same dates.
Daylight saving note: Central Time and Eastern Time switch to daylight saving on the same dates, so they stay 1 hour apart all year: CST to EST in winter, CDT to EDT in summer.
CST/CDT to EST/EDT Conversion Table
Full 24-hour reference table. Use the live clocks above for the exact current offset.
| 🇺🇸 CST/CDT | 🇺🇸 CST/CDT → EST/EDTWinter UTC-6 to UTC-5, summer UTC-5 to UTC-4 (always +1 hour) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 1:00 AM | |
| 01:00 | 2:00 AM | |
| 02:00 | 3:00 AM | |
| 03:00 | 4:00 AM | |
| 04:00 | 5:00 AM | |
| 05:00 | 6:00 AM | |
| 06:00 | 7:00 AM | |
| 07:00 | 8:00 AM | |
| 08:00 | 9:00 AM | |
| 09:00 | 10:00 AM | |
| 10:00 | 11:00 AM | |
| 11:00 | 12:00 PM | |
| 12:00 | 1:00 PM | |
| 13:00 | 2:00 PM | |
| 14:00 | 3:00 PM | |
| 15:00 | 4:00 PM | |
| 16:00 | 5:00 PM | |
| 17:00 | 6:00 PM | |
| 18:00 | 7:00 PM | |
| 19:00 | 8:00 PM | |
| 20:00 | 9:00 PM | |
| 21:00 | 10:00 PM | |
| 22:00 | 11:00 PM | |
| 23:00 | 12:00 AM | next day |
* "next day" = converted time falls on the following calendar day.
Best Hours to Schedule Central Standard Time–Eastern Standard Time Calls
Central and Eastern Time are only 1 hour apart, making US Central–East Coast scheduling straightforward. A 9:00 AM Central standup is 10:00 AM Eastern, in winter and summer alike, so most of the working day overlaps without adjustment.
About Central Standard Time (CST/CDT)
Central Time covers Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, and New Orleans. It uses CST (UTC-6) in winter and CDT (UTC-5) in summer.
About Eastern Standard Time (EST/EDT)
Eastern Time is the US East Coast timezone, using EST (UTC-5) in winter and EDT (UTC-4) in summer. It is always 1 hour ahead of Central Time, so 9:00 AM in New York is 8:00 AM in Chicago.
How to Avoid Central Standard Time–Eastern Standard Time Conversion Mistakes
From 11:00 PM CST/CDT onward, Eastern Standard Time is already on the next calendar day. For example, 11:00 PM CST/CDT is 12:00 AM in Eastern Standard Time on the next day (CST/CDT → EST/EDT).
Abbreviations can be ambiguous here: Central Standard Time switches between CST and CDT across the year, while Eastern Standard Time switches between EST and EDT. City names and IANA time zones (America/Chicago and America/New_York) are safer for exact scheduling if you're automating anything, since they resolve the right abbreviation automatically instead of needing a manual seasonal check.
Worked Example: A Deadline That Crosses Midnight
Central and Eastern Time are one hour apart, so mistakes are rarely about the hour itself. They happen at the edge of the day. If a form closes at 11:30 PM Central on a Friday, it closes at 12:30 AM the next day Eastern, which is already Saturday. Anyone in Eastern Time who waits for "Friday night" has missed it.
Now take a normal working call. A 9:00 AM Central start is 10:00 AM Eastern, and a 4:00 PM Central finish is 5:00 PM Eastern. The same gap applies in July and in January, because the central and eastern states move their clocks on the same dates.
When you write an invite, name the zone next to the time ("9:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM ET") rather than leaving one side to work it out. For anything with a date cut-off, state the date for both zones if the time falls after about 11:00 PM Central. A cut-off at 11:00 PM Central is 12:00 AM the next day Eastern, which is already the next day, so a reader on the East Coast should treat "tonight" as already over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CST always 1 hour behind EST?
Central Time is always 1 hour behind Eastern Time. Strictly, CST and EST are the winter (standard-time) labels: in winter it is CST (UTC-6) vs EST (UTC-5), and in summer CDT (UTC-5) vs EDT (UTC-4). Both regions change clocks on the same Sunday, so the 1-hour gap holds all year.
What time is 9 AM CST in EST?
9:00 AM CST is 10:00 AM EST, and in summer 9:00 AM CDT is likewise 10:00 AM EDT. Central Time is 1 hour behind Eastern Time all year.
What US cities use Central Time?
Major US cities on Central Time include Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Nashville, and Kansas City. The Central timezone also covers most of Texas and the central Midwest.
Why does the NYSE open at 8:30 AM Chicago time?
The New York Stock Exchange opens at 9:30 AM Eastern Time, which is 8:30 AM Central Time in Chicago. Because the two regions change clocks together, that holds in both winter and summer.