CST Time Now — Central Standard Time
The current CST time (Central Standard Time, UTC -06:00) is shown below. CST is observed in the central United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.
CST — UTC -06:00
Thursday, 22 October 2026 CST
The clock always shows CST (UTC -06:00). Places in this zone switch between standard and daylight time during the year, so their local time can differ from CST by an hour.
Where CST is used
In 2026, 25 zones in the tz database show CST : 13 all year and 12 only part of the year, switching to CDT for the rest . The all-year zones are the ones that don't observe daylight saving: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Canada, Honduras.
| Zone | Country | January | July |
|---|---|---|---|
| America/Bahia Banderas | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Belize | Belize | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Chicago | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Chihuahua | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Costa Rica | Costa Rica | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/El Salvador | El Salvador | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Guatemala | Guatemala | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Indiana/Knox | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Indiana/Tell City | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Managua | Nicaragua | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Matamoros | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Menominee | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Merida | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Mexico City | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Monterrey | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/North Dakota/Beulah | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/North Dakota/Center | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/North Dakota/New Salem | United States | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Ojinaga | Mexico | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Rankin Inlet | Canada | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Regina | Canada | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Resolute | Canada | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
| America/Swift Current | Canada | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Tegucigalpa | Honduras | CST -06:00 | CST -06:00 |
| America/Winnipeg | Canada | CST -06:00 | CDT -05:00 |
About CST
Offset & DST
UTC offset: -06:00
Daylight saving: Observed
Daylight-time counterpart: CDT (UTC -05:00)
Representative IANA zone: America/Chicago
IANA zones at CST
Converting CST to other time zones
CST is fixed at UTC -06:00 — written -0600 in email headers and -06:00 in ISO 8601 timestamps. In 2026, Chicago is on CST until 8 March and from 1 November to the end of the year. The table below uses each abbreviation's own fixed offset; for a specific place, check its city page, since local clocks switch between standard and daylight abbreviations.
| Zone | Difference | When it's 12:00 CST | Converter |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC Coordinated Universal Time | +6 h | 18:00 | Hour by hour → |
| PST Pacific Standard Time | −2 h | 10:00 | Hour by hour → |
| MST Mountain Standard Time | −1 h | 11:00 | Hour by hour → |
| EST Eastern Standard Time | +1 h | 13:00 | Hour by hour → |
| BRT Brasília Time | +3 h | 15:00 | Hour by hour → |
| BST British Summer Time | +7 h | 19:00 | Hour by hour → |
| CET Central European Time | +7 h | 19:00 | Hour by hour → |
| EET Eastern European Time | +8 h | 20:00 | Hour by hour → |
| MSK Moscow Standard Time | +9 h | 21:00 | Hour by hour → |
| GST Gulf Standard Time | +10 h | 22:00 | Hour by hour → |
| IST India Standard Time | +11:30 h | 23:30 | Hour by hour → |
| CST China Standard Time | +14 h | 02:00 (+1 day) | Hour by hour → |
| JST Japan Standard Time | +15 h | 03:00 (+1 day) | Hour by hour → |
| AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time | +16 h | 04:00 (+1 day) | Hour by hour → |
CST can mean something else
Time zone abbreviations are not unique. Besides Central Standard Time, CST is also used for:
- China Standard Time (UTC +08:00) — mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
- Cuba Standard Time (UTC −05:00) — Cuba, in winter
When the difference matters — meeting invites, software, contracts — write the UTC offset (UTC -06:00) or an IANA zone name such as America/Chicago instead.
Countries commonly using CST
Other zones at UTC -06:00
CST questions
- What is CST in UTC?
- CST (Central Standard Time) is UTC -06:00. In ISO 8601 timestamps it is written -06:00, in email and HTTP headers -0600.
- Is CST the same as CDT?
- No. CST is UTC -06:00; CDT is UTC -05:00, the daylight-saving time the same places use for the other part of the year. In 2026, Chicago is on CST until 8 March and from 1 November to the end of the year.
- Which countries use CST?
- In 2026, zones showing CST are found in Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, United States.
- Does CST mean anything else?
- Yes. CST is also used for China Standard Time (UTC +08:00) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC −05:00). Use a UTC offset or an IANA zone name when it matters.
More tools for CST
Look up the exact IANA zone behind CST, see it on the offset map, or compare it against other cities.