MeetingTimePro

EST to CST converter

Eastern Time to Central Time. CST is 1 h behind of EST all year.

From

EST · New York EDT · UTC−4

  • CST · ChicagoCDT · UTC−5 · 1 h behind
    08:00Mon, Sep 28
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The gap between EST and CST

2026EST clocksCST clocksDifference
JanuaryEST UTC−5CST UTC−61 h behind
JulyEDT UTC−4CDT UTC−51 h behind

Neither clock changes relative to the other, so this gap holds all year.

Convert the other way: CST to EST · Plan a meeting across more places

EST to CST time table

Every hour of the EST day and the matching CST time, for a mid-January and a mid-July date (they are identical, since the gap never changes).

ESTCST · January
12:00 AM11:00 PM (−1 day)
1:00 AM12:00 AM
2:00 AM1:00 AM
3:00 AM2:00 AM
4:00 AM3:00 AM
5:00 AM4:00 AM
6:00 AM5:00 AM
7:00 AM6:00 AM
8:00 AM7:00 AM
9:00 AM8:00 AM
10:00 AM9:00 AM
11:00 AM10:00 AM
12:00 PM11:00 AM
1:00 PM12:00 PM
2:00 PM1:00 PM
3:00 PM2:00 PM
4:00 PM3:00 PM
5:00 PM4:00 PM
6:00 PM5:00 PM
7:00 PM6:00 PM
8:00 PM7:00 PM
9:00 PM8:00 PM
10:00 PM9:00 PM
11:00 PM10:00 PM

About these two clocks

EST — Eastern Time. Used in New York, Toronto, Miami, Atlanta. Strictly, EST is the winter name; from March to November the same clocks show EDT (UTC−4). This page follows the clocks, so summer dates use EDT.

CST — Central Time. Used in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Mexico City is separate. CST is the winter name; in summer the same clocks run on CDT (UTC−5). Conversions here follow the clocks.

All figures on this page come from the IANA time zone database (the same data your phone and laptop use), evaluated for the date in question. Abbreviations are ambiguous — “IST” also means Irish or Israel Standard Time, and “CST” is China Standard Time in Asia — so this page uses America/New_York and America/Chicago explicitly.

Questions people ask

How many hours ahead or behind is CST compared with EST?

CST is 1 h behind of EST all year, because the offset between the two clocks does not change.

What is 9 am EST in CST?

On a January date, 9:00 am EST is 8:00 AM CST. Use the converter above for any other date.

Which cities use EST?

Eastern Time (EST) is used in New York, Toronto, Miami, Atlanta. Strictly, EST is the winter name; from March to November the same clocks show EDT (UTC−4). This page follows the clocks, so summer dates use EDT.

Which cities use CST?

Central Time (CST) is used in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Mexico City is separate. CST is the winter name; in summer the same clocks run on CDT (UTC−5). Conversions here follow the clocks.

When is a good time for a EST–CST call?

Look for the hours where both columns in the table fall between about 8 am and 6 pm. If none exist, the meeting planner on our home page shows the least-bad options and lets you share a link that converts for every attendee.

Related conversions

EST to ISTEST to PSTPST to CSTUTC to CSTIST to CSTEST to UTCEST to MSTEST to GMTEST to CETEST to BST