EST to CST converter
Central Time is 1 hour behind Eastern Time year-round: Eastern Time runs at UTC−5 / UTC−4 and Central Time at UTC−6 / UTC−5. To convert EST to CST, subtract 1 hour from the EST time. Both zones shift by an hour on the same dates, so the gap never moves.
Eastern Time runs at UTC−5 / UTC−4, Central Time at UTC−6 / UTC−5.
EST to CST conversion table
Every hour of the day converted. One column is enough here: the gap between the two zones is the same in winter and summer.
| Eastern Time (EST / EDT) | Central Time (CST / CDT) |
|---|---|
| 00:00 12:00 AM | 23:00 11:00 PM previous day |
| 01:00 1:00 AM | 00:00 12:00 AM |
| 02:00 2:00 AM | 01:00 1:00 AM |
| 03:00 3:00 AM | 02:00 2:00 AM |
| 04:00 4:00 AM | 03:00 3:00 AM |
| 05:00 5:00 AM | 04:00 4:00 AM |
| 06:00 6:00 AM | 05:00 5:00 AM |
| 07:00 7:00 AM | 06:00 6:00 AM |
| 08:00 8:00 AM | 07:00 7:00 AM |
| 09:00 9:00 AM | 08:00 8:00 AM |
| 10:00 10:00 AM | 09:00 9:00 AM |
| 11:00 11:00 AM | 10:00 10:00 AM |
| 12:00 12:00 PM | 11:00 11:00 AM |
| 13:00 1:00 PM | 12:00 12:00 PM |
| 14:00 2:00 PM | 13:00 1:00 PM |
| 15:00 3:00 PM | 14:00 2:00 PM |
| 16:00 4:00 PM | 15:00 3:00 PM |
| 17:00 5:00 PM | 16:00 4:00 PM |
| 18:00 6:00 PM | 17:00 5:00 PM |
| 19:00 7:00 PM | 18:00 6:00 PM |
| 20:00 8:00 PM | 19:00 7:00 PM |
| 21:00 9:00 PM | 20:00 8:00 PM |
| 22:00 10:00 PM | 21:00 9:00 PM |
| 23:00 11:00 PM | 22:00 10:00 PM |
How the EST to CST conversion works
Converting EST to CST means taking a wall-clock time in Eastern Time (EST / EDT, UTC−5 / UTC−4) and expressing the same instant in Central Time (CST / CDT, UTC−6 / UTC−5). The arithmetic is one step: subtract 1 hour from any EST time, and it holds on every date of the year. Applying the gap pushes part of the day onto a different calendar date — the table below marks every row that shifts. In code, store the instant in UTC and convert with the IANA identifiers America/New_York and America/Chicago, never with the abbreviations. One note on the source label: EST is also used for Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10), so the abbreviation alone is ambiguous. On the target label: CST is also used for China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time, so the abbreviation alone is ambiguous.
Best time for meetings between EST and CST
Working hours are taken as 09:00–18:00 in each zone. The window in force depends on the date, so both halves of the year are listed where they differ.
CST / CDT, year-round
A 9-to-6 working day in both zones overlaps for 8 hours: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM EST is 9:00 AM–5:00 PM CST. Book inside that window and neither side is working outside normal hours.
Daylight saving time: which side moves
Both Eastern Time and Central Time shift their clocks on the same dates, by the same hour, in the same direction. The gap between them therefore holds at 1 hour on every date, including the two transition weekends.
US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
- Eastern Time
- America/New_York
- EST / EDT — UTC−5 / UTC−4
- Central Time
- America/Chicago
- CST / CDT — UTC−6 / UTC−5
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between EST and CST?
Central Time runs 1 hour behind Eastern Time on every date of the year. In offset terms, Eastern Time sits at UTC−5 / UTC−4 and Central Time at UTC−6 / UTC−5. So 9:00 AM EST is 8:00 AM CST. The hour-by-hour table on this page lists the conversion for all 24 hours so you do not have to do the arithmetic.
Does the EST to CST difference change with daylight saving time?
The difference holds at 1 hour on every date. Both Eastern Time and Central Time shift by an hour on the same dates and in the same direction, so the gap between them never moves, not even across a transition weekend. In the US that means clocks move forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November.
What time is 9 am EST in CST?
9:00 AM EST is 8:00 AM in Central Time, and it stays that way all year because the two zones stay 1 hour apart. The rule is the same one the whole page runs on: subtract 1 hour from any EST time. Check the hour-by-hour table for any other starting hour, including the rows that land on the previous or next calendar day.
What do EST and CST stand for?
EST stands for Eastern Standard Time, and EDT is Eastern Daylight Time. CST stands for Central Standard Time, and CDT is Central Daylight Time. Both are display labels rather than rules: the offsets behind them come from the IANA identifiers America/New_York and America/Chicago. EST is also used for Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10), so the abbreviation alone is ambiguous.
Related conversions
Need more than two zones at once? The full timezone converter shows a single moment across up to six IANA timezones, for any date you choose.