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
Sunday, 11 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.
About CST
Offset & DST
UTC offset: -06:00
Daylight saving: Observed
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 |
|---|---|---|
| UTC Coordinated Universal Time | +6 h | 18:00 |
| PST Pacific Standard Time | −2 h | 10:00 |
| MST Mountain Standard Time | −1 h | 11:00 |
| EST Eastern Standard Time | +1 h | 13:00 |
| BRT Brasília Time | +3 h | 15:00 |
| BST British Summer Time | +7 h | 19:00 |
| CET Central European Time | +7 h | 19:00 |
| EET Eastern European Time | +8 h | 20:00 |
| MSK Moscow Standard Time | +9 h | 21:00 |
| GST Gulf Standard Time | +10 h | 22:00 |
| IST India Standard Time | +11:30 h | 23:30 |
| CST China Standard Time | +14 h | 02:00 (+1 day) |
| JST Japan Standard Time | +15 h | 03:00 (+1 day) |
| AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time | +16 h | 04:00 (+1 day) |
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
More tools for CST
Look up the exact IANA zone behind CST, see it on the offset map, or compare it against other cities.