What time is it in Chicago?
The live local time in Chicago, Illinois.
Current time in Chicago
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CST ·
The time across America right now
Chicago is in Central Time (highlighted). Look at how far apart the zones are.
Eastern Time
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ET
New York
Central Time
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CT
Chicago
Mountain Time
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MT
Denver
Pacific Time
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PT
Los Angeles
Alaska Time
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AKT
Anchorage
Hawaii Time
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HST
Honolulu
Why is the time in Chicago different?
The United States is so wide that the Sun is overhead in different places at different times. When the Sun is high in New York, it is still morning in California. So the country is split into time zones, and Chicago is in Central Time.
- Chicago is 1 hour behind New York all year.
- Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year.
- Yes. Chicago uses daylight saving time. The clocks go forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March and back 1 hour on the first Sunday in November. That moves Chicago between CST (UTC-6) in winter and CDT (UTC-5) in summer.
Planning a call? Check the live clock above first, then see the table below to turn New York time into Chicago time.
Chicago time facts
- State
- Illinois
- Time zone
- Central Time (CT)
- Winter name
- CST (UTC-6)
- Summer name
- CDT (UTC-5)
- Daylight saving time
- Yes. Chicago uses daylight saving time. The clocks go forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March and back 1 hour on the first Sunday in November. That moves Chicago between CST (UTC-6) in winter and CDT (UTC-5) in summer.
- IANA time zone name
- America/Chicago
New York time to Chicago time
If it is this time in New York today, what time is it in Chicago?
| New York | Chicago |
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Questions about time in Chicago
What time is it in Chicago now?
The clock at the top of this page shows the live local time in Chicago, Illinois. It updates every second.
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago is in the Central Time zone. The short names are CST in winter and CDT in summer. Its IANA name is America/Chicago.
Does Chicago use daylight saving time?
Yes. Chicago uses daylight saving time. The clocks go forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March and back 1 hour on the first Sunday in November. That moves Chicago between CST (UTC-6) in winter and CDT (UTC-5) in summer.
What is the time difference between Chicago and New York?
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York all year.
What is the time difference between Chicago and Los Angeles?
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year.
Is Chicago ahead of or behind New York?
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York all year.