Time in Chicago
Chicago is on Central Time: CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. The clock shows which applies right now, plus today's sunrise, sunset and conversions.
- Time zone
- —
- Abbreviation
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- UTC offset
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- Daylight saving
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- Compared with your clock
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- IANA time zone:
- America/Chicago
- Country:
- United States
- Coordinates:
- 41.88° N, 87.63° W
- Clock changes in 2026:
- forward on March 8, 2026 · back on November 1, 2026 (UTC−6 / UTC−5)
Railroads, Chicago and standard time
Chicago was the hub of American railroads, and the General Time Convention of railroad managers met in the city in October 1883 to approve the plan for four standard zones that took effect that November. Central Time is based on the 90th meridian west, which passes near Memphis and New Orleans. Chicago sits at 87.6° west, so its clocks run about ten minutes behind the sun in winter.
Daylight saving follows the national calendar: forward at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and back at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November. In 2026 that is March 8 and November 1. The zone covers most of the Midwest and Texas. Mexico City shares the winter offset but has not changed its clocks since 2022.
When to call Chicago
Hours that fall inside 9:00–17:00 both in Chicago and in the other city, using today's offsets.
Daylight in Chicago
Sunday, October 18, 2026, local time
- Sunrise
- 7:06 AM
- Sunset
- 6:04 PM
- Day length
- 10 h 58 min
- Solar noon
- 12:35 PM
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 18 | 7:06 AM | 6:04 PM | 10 h 58 min |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 7:07 AM | 6:02 PM | 10 h 55 min−3′ |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 7:08 AM | 6:01 PM | 10 h 52 min−3′ |
| Wed, Oct 21 | 7:09 AM | 5:59 PM | 10 h 50 min−2′ |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 7:11 AM | 5:58 PM | 10 h 47 min−3′ |
| Fri, Oct 23 | 7:12 AM | 5:56 PM | 10 h 44 min−3′ |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 7:13 AM | 5:55 PM | 10 h 42 min−2′ |
Approximate times (usually within two minutes), calculated from the city's coordinates with the NOAA solar equations. Hills, tall buildings and unusual air refraction can shift what you see.
Trading floors and business hours
CME Group's electronic futures markets run nearly around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon, with a daily pause from 4:00 to 5:00 PM Central. Stock trading in New York opens at 8:30 AM Chicago time and closes at 3:00 PM, which is why many Chicago finance offices start before 8:00.
New York is always one hour ahead and Los Angeles two hours behind. London is six hours ahead for most of the year, and five hours during the spring and autumn weeks when Europe and the US are out of step, so a 9:00 AM call in Chicago reaches London at 3:00 PM. The CST to EST page compares the two American zones hour by hour.
Sunrise and sunset by the lake
At 41.9° north, Chicago's longest day in late June has sunrise around 5:15 AM and sunset near 8:30 PM, about 15 hours 15 minutes of daylight. In December the sun rises about 7:15 AM and sets around 4:20 PM, leaving roughly 9 hours 10 minutes.
Nearby cities and their time
| Nearby cities | Distance | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Canada | 700 km | +1 h |
| Atlanta United States | 950 km | +1 h |
| Washington, D.C. United States | 960 km | +1 h |
| New York United States | 1,140 km | +1 h |
| Dallas United States | 1,290 km | same time |
| Boston United States | 1,370 km | +1 h |
Frequently asked questions
- What time is 3 PM London time in Chicago?
- 9:00 AM in Chicago for most of the year, and 10:00 AM during the few weeks when only one side has changed to or from daylight time.
- When do Chicago's stock and futures markets close?
- US stock exchanges close at 3:00 PM Central. CME futures pause daily from 4:00 to 5:00 PM Central and close for the weekend on Friday afternoon.
- Is all of Illinois on Central Time?
- Yes. The whole state uses Central Time, while neighboring Indiana is split, with most counties on Eastern Time and the northwest corner near Chicago and the southwest corner around Evansville on Central.
- How far behind New York is Chicago?
- Exactly one hour, all year, since both cities switch to and from daylight time on the same nights.