Current time in Chicago, IL
Central Time UTC−6 · IANA zone America/Chicago
Time zone details
| Time zone | Central Time (CT) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | CST, UTC−6 (early Nov – mid Mar) |
| Daylight time | CDT, UTC−5 (mid Mar – early Nov) |
| DST clock change | Forward 1 h, 2nd Sunday of March · Back 1 h, 1st Sunday of November |
| Sunrise today | — |
| Sunset today | — |
| Day length | — |
| Coordinates | 41.88° N, 87.63° W |
Time difference from Chicago
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| New York | +1 h |
| Denver | −1 h |
| Phoenix | −1 / −2 h |
| Los Angeles | −2 h |
| Anchorage | −3 h |
| Honolulu | −4 / −5 h |
Chicago sets the pace for the whole Central Time Zone — Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Dallas, and Houston all read the same clock.
About time in Chicago
Chicago is the seat of Cook County and the anchor city of Central Time. It was at a Chicago railroad convention in October 1883 that American railways agreed to the standard time zone plan, which took effect that November 18 — remembered as "the day of two noons," when local sun time was abandoned.
Central Time still frames national schedules from here: prime-time television airs on the familiar "8/7c" pattern, an hour earlier on Chicago clocks than on the coasts' listings, and the US stock market's 9:30 AM ET opening bell rings at 8:30 AM in the Loop, where CME Group's futures markets are headquartered.
The city follows the standard DST calendar — forward March 8 and back November 1 in 2026 — and its June evenings run to sunsets near 8:30 PM CDT.
Time in cities near Chicago
| City | Distance | Local time now |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 81 mi | Central Time |
| Madison, WI | 122 mi | Central Time |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 125 mi | Eastern Time |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 140 mi | Eastern Time |
| Indianapolis, IN | 165 mi | Eastern Time |
| Green Bay, WI | 183 mi | Central Time |
| Toledo, OH | 211 mi | Eastern Time |
| Detroit, MI | 237 mi | Eastern Time |
More places: all Illinois cities · Central Time Zone · every US city
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago is the largest city of the Central Time Zone (CT): CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
What is the time difference between Chicago and New York?
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York in every season — when it's noon in Manhattan it's 11:00 AM in Chicago. Both cities change clocks for daylight saving on the same dates. See the CST to EST chart.
Does Chicago observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Chicago springs forward at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and falls back at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November — in 2026, March 8 and November 1. Full dates on the DST page.