Central Time Zone (CT)
The Central Time Zone (CT) covers the middle of the country, from the Great Lakes and the Upper Midwest down through the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf Coast. Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Nashville, New Orleans and Minneapolis all keep Central Time. It touches more split states than any other US zone.
| General abbreviation | CT |
|---|---|
| Standard time | CST — Central Standard Time, UTC−6 |
| Daylight time | CDT — Central Daylight Time, UTC−5 (second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November) |
| IANA identifier | America/Chicago (plus local variants such as America/Indiana/Knox and America/Menominee) |
| Military letter | S (Sierra) for CST, R (Romeo) for CDT |
Note: outside the US, "CST" often means China Standard Time (UTC+8) or Cuba Standard Time. In international messages, write "US Central Time" or "CT".
States in the Central Time Zone
Entirely on Central Time (10 states)
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin.
Partly on Central Time (10 states)
- Texas — all except El Paso and Hudspeth counties in the far west (Mountain Time).
- Tennessee — Middle and West Tennessee, including Nashville, Memphis and Clarksville.
- Kentucky — the western half, including Bowling Green, Owensboro and Paducah.
- Kansas — all except four western counties (Sherman, Wallace, Greeley, Hamilton).
- Nebraska — the eastern two-thirds, including Omaha, Lincoln and North Platte.
- South Dakota — the eastern half, including Sioux Falls and Pierre.
- North Dakota — all but the southwestern corner, including Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks.
- Florida — the western panhandle, including Pensacola and Panama City.
- Indiana — twelve counties: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper and Starke in the northwest; Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer and Perry in the southwest.
- Michigan — Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson and Menominee counties in the Upper Peninsula.
Major cities on Central Time
Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Birmingham, Milwaukee, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Omaha, Des Moines, Little Rock, Jackson and Sioux Falls.
Where Central Time meets Mountain Time
The Central–Mountain line runs down the Great Plains: through southwestern North Dakota, along roughly the Missouri River in South Dakota, across western Nebraska and the four westernmost Kansas counties, then down to the El Paso area of Texas. Drivers on I-40 cross it at the Texas–New Mexico state line; on I-80 it falls in western Nebraska; on I-90 it falls in central South Dakota.
Central time compared with other US zones
The table shows what time it is elsewhere when it is 12:00 PM in the Central zone (Chicago). Differences change during daylight saving time because Arizona and Hawaii keep their clocks fixed. For any other time, use the time zone converter.
| Zone | Winter (Nov–Mar) | Difference | Summer (Mar–Nov) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern (New York) | 1:00 PM | 1 h ahead | 1:00 PM | 1 h ahead |
| Mountain (Denver) | 11:00 AM | 1 h behind | 11:00 AM | 1 h behind |
| Arizona (Phoenix) | 11:00 AM | 1 h behind | 10:00 AM | 2 h behind |
| Pacific (Los Angeles) | 10:00 AM | 2 h behind | 10:00 AM | 2 h behind |
| Alaska (Anchorage) | 9:00 AM | 3 h behind | 9:00 AM | 3 h behind |
| Hawaii (Honolulu) | 8:00 AM | 4 h behind | 7:00 AM | 5 h behind |
| UTC | 6:00 PM | 6 h ahead | 5:00 PM | 5 h ahead |
Right now in the other zones
Frequently asked questions
What is CST?
CST is Central Standard Time, UTC−6, used from early November to mid-March. During daylight saving time the Central zone uses CDT, UTC−5.
Is Texas in the Central Time Zone?
Most of Texas is on Central Time, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. El Paso and Hudspeth counties in the far west use Mountain Time, so El Paso is one hour behind the rest of the state.
Is Missouri on Central Time?
Yes. All of Missouri, including St. Louis and Kansas City, is in the Central Time Zone and observes daylight saving time.
What is the time difference between Central and Eastern Time?
Central Time is 1 hour behind Eastern Time all year. 3:00 PM CT is 4:00 PM ET.
Related guides
- Eastern Time Zone and Mountain Time Zone — the neighbouring zones.
- Time zone converter & chart — convert any time between US zones for any date.
- US time zones by state — every state, including the thirteen split states.
- Daylight saving time — the second-Sunday-in-March / first-Sunday-in-November rule and its exceptions.
- Time zone abbreviations — ET vs EST vs EDT, and the rest.