Central Time Now
CT · CST
8:09:39 PM
Your time
About this zone
- Generic name
- Central Time (CT)
- Standard time
- CST · UTC−6
- Daylight time
- CDT · UTC−5
- IANA identifier
America/Chicago
Central Time runs through the middle of the country, from the Gulf Coast to the Canadian border, and is one hour behind Eastern Time.
States and territories
ALAlabamaCentral Time8:09 PMARArkansasCentral Time8:09 PMILIllinoisCentral Time8:09 PMIAIowaCentral Time8:09 PMKSKansasCentral Time8:09 PMLALouisianaCentral Time8:09 PMMNMinnesotaCentral Time8:09 PMMSMississippiCentral Time8:09 PMMOMissouriCentral Time8:09 PMNENebraskaCentral Time8:09 PMNDNorth DakotaCentral Time8:09 PMOKOklahomaCentral Time8:09 PMSDSouth DakotaCentral Time8:09 PMTNTennesseeCentral Time8:09 PMTXTexasCentral Time8:09 PMWIWisconsinCentral Time8:09 PM
States partly in this zone
- Florida — The western Panhandle, west of the Apalachicola River (including Pensacola and Panama City), uses Central Time.
- Indiana — Twelve counties in the northwest (near Chicago) and the southwest (around Evansville) use Central Time.
- Kentucky — The western part of the state, including Bowling Green, Owensboro and Paducah, uses Central Time.
- Michigan — Four Upper Peninsula counties on the Wisconsin border (Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson and Menominee) use Central Time.
Cities
ILChicagoIllinois8:09 PMTXHoustonTexas8:09 PMTXSan AntonioTexas8:09 PMTXDallasTexas8:09 PMTXAustinTexas8:09 PMTXFort WorthTexas8:09 PMTNNashvilleTennessee8:09 PMOKOklahoma CityOklahoma8:09 PMTNMemphisTennessee8:09 PMWIMilwaukeeWisconsin8:09 PMMOKansas CityMissouri8:09 PMMNMinneapolisMinnesota8:09 PMLANew OrleansLouisiana8:09 PMMOSt. LouisMissouri8:09 PMNEOmahaNebraska8:09 PMOKTulsaOklahoma8:09 PMALBirminghamAlabama8:09 PM
Daylight saving time
Next clock changeSunday, March 14, 2027Clocks go forward one hour at 2:00 AM local time. Daylight saving time begins.
–days–hours–minutes–seconds
2026 startMarch 8Sunday, 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM
2026 endNovember 1Sunday, 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM
Status todayStandard timeCST · UTC−6
Frequently asked questions
What is the current Central Time?
The live clock at the top of this page shows the current Central Time. The zone is currently UTC−6, written CST.
What is the difference between CST and CDT?
CST (UTC−6) is the standard time used from November to March. CDT (UTC−5) is the daylight saving time used from March to November. The generic name CT covers both.