Central Time Zone Real-Time Display
12 Hours
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00 Minutes
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AM
Monday, June 21, 2025
Central Standard Time (CST)
Daylight Saving Active
24-Hour Format
Current Central Time
Central Time is currently 6 hours behind UTC. The Central Time Zone covers a significant portion of North America, including major cities like Chicago, Dallas, and New Orleans. Whether you're planning a meeting or checking the time for business purposes, our real-time display shows exactly what time it is in Central Time right now.
Daylight Saving Time
Central Time observes Daylight Saving Time from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. During this period, Central Daylight Time (CDT) is UTC-5, while Central Standard Time (CST) is UTC-6. Our clock automatically adjusts to show the correct time based on the current DST status.
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Chicago, Illinois The Windy City and major business hub
Dallas, Texas Major metropolitan area and business center
New Orleans, Louisiana Cultural hub and historic city
Minneapolis, Minnesota Twin Cities metropolitan area
Kansas City, Missouri Heart of America
Nashville, Tennessee Music City USA
2:00 PM
New York, Miami, Atlanta
1:00 PM
Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans
12:00 PM
Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City
11:00 AM
Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco
Business Hours
Most Central Time businesses operate from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST/CDT. This makes Central Time ideal for coordinating with both East and West Coast businesses, as it provides overlap with standard business hours across multiple time zones.
Meeting Coordination
When scheduling meetings across time zones, Central Time serves as an excellent middle ground. A 2:00 PM Central meeting translates to 3:00 PM Eastern and 12:00 PM Pacific, making it convenient for nationwide collaboration.
International Business
For international business, Central Time is 6 hours behind UTC during standard time and 5 hours behind during daylight saving time. This positioning allows for reasonable communication windows with European and Asian markets.
What time is it right now in Central Time?
The current Central Time is displayed in real-time at the top of this page. Our clock updates every second to show the exact time in the Central Time Zone, automatically adjusting for Daylight Saving Time when applicable.
How many hours behind UTC is Central Time?
Central Standard Time (CST) is 6 hours behind UTC, while Central Daylight Time (CDT) is 5 hours behind UTC. The time zone automatically switches between these two depending on the date and Daylight Saving Time schedule.
Which states observe Central Time?
Central Time is observed in parts or all of: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
When does Daylight Saving Time start and end in Central Time?
Daylight Saving Time in Central Time begins on the second Sunday in March at 2:00 AM CST (clocks "spring forward" to 3:00 AM CDT) and ends on the first Sunday in November at 2:00 AM CDT (clocks "fall back" to 1:00 AM CST).
