CST to EST time converter (Central to Eastern)
CST to EST: Eastern Time is 1 hour ahead of Central Time, so 12:00 PM in Chicago is 1:00 PM in New York. Enter a time and a date to convert, with live clocks for both cities and a table for the whole day. In summer the zones are called CDT and EDT, and the difference stays 1 hour.
Source: IANA Time Zone Database (tzdata). Updated: .
How it is calculated
The rule: add one hour
Central Time is UTC−6 in winter (CST) and UTC−5 in summer (CDT); Eastern Time is one hour further east, UTC−5 (EST) and UTC−4 (EDT). So CST to EST: add 1 hour. 9:00 AM CST = 10:00 AM EST, 12:00 PM CST = 1:00 PM EST, 11:30 PM CST = 12:30 AM EST on the next day. Both zones switch to summer time on the same Sunday (March 8, 2026) and back on November 1, 2026, so the answer stays +1 hour.
The one-hour exception
The clocks do not change at the same instant: Eastern jumps at 2:00 AM local time, which is one hour before Central does. On the two changeover Sundays the gap is therefore 2 hours (spring) or 0 hours (autumn) for exactly one hour. The converter shows a note when your date is one of those days.
CST does not always mean Chicago
CST is also China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time. This page converts US Central Time: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Kansas City, New Orleans. For China the gap to New York is 13 hours in winter.
Market and TV times
The New York Stock Exchange trades from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern, which is 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM Central. A show that starts at 8 PM ET airs at 7 PM CT. Use the table below to look up any hour; for the West Coast see PST to EST, and for world clock work the time zone meeting planner.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is CST behind EST?
CST is 1 hour behind EST. 8:00 AM CST is 9:00 AM EST.
What is 12 PM CST in EST?
12:00 PM CST is 1:00 PM EST. In summer, 12:00 PM CDT is 1:00 PM EDT.
What is 9 AM CST in EST?
9:00 AM CST is 10:00 AM EST.
When does the stock market open in Central Time?
The NYSE opens at 9:30 AM Eastern, which is 8:30 AM Central, and closes at 4:00 PM Eastern, which is 3:00 PM Central.
Is CST the same as China Standard Time?
No. This converter uses US Central Time (UTC−6). China Standard Time is UTC+8 with no daylight saving.
Sources and legal basis
- IANA Time Zone Database (tzdata)
- ECMA-402 – Intl.DateTimeFormat, option timeZone
- 15 U.S.C. § 260a – daylight saving time in the United States (Cornell LII)
As of: · Editorial policy
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