EST to CST Time Converter

Convert Eastern Standard Time to Central Standard Time - Quick & Accurate

New York (EST)
Chicago (CST)
CST is 1 hours behind EST

Quick Time Conversion

New York
Eastern Standard Time
UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT)
Chicago
Central Standard Time
UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)

Current Time Right Now

Eastern Standard Time
Central Standard Time

Updates live every second

24-Hour Visual Comparison

EST (New York)
12am EST
1am EST
2am EST
3am EST
4am EST
5am EST
6am EST
7am EST
8am EST
9am EST
10am EST
11am EST
12pm EST
1pm EST
2pm EST
3pm EST
4pm EST
5pm EST
6pm EST
7pm EST
8pm EST
9pm EST
10pm EST
11pm EST
12a6a12p6p12a
CST (Chicago)
11pm CST
12am CST
1am CST
2am CST
3am CST
4am CST
5am CST
6am CST
7am CST
8am CST
9am CST
10am CST
11am CST
12pm CST
1pm CST
2pm CST
3pm CST
4pm CST
5pm CST
6pm CST
7pm CST
8pm CST
9pm CST
10pm CST
Business Hours (9AM-5PM)
Evening (5PM-9PM)
Night (9PM-6AM)

Hover over any hour to see corresponding time in both zones

Best Time for Meeting/Call

To schedule a meeting between EST and CST:

Best Window (EST)
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Which is (CST)
113:00 AM - 16:00 PM
Both parties in business hours
Optimal overlap window
Ideal for international teams

Pro Tip: Schedule calls during the overlap window for optimal convenience for both time zones

Complete EST to CST Conversion Table

EST TimeCST TimeContext
12:00 AM11:00 PM
Midnight EST
01:00 AM12:00 AM
Late Night
02:00 AM01:00 AM
Late Night
03:00 AM02:00 AM
Late Night
04:00 AM03:00 AM
Late Night
05:00 AM04:00 AM
Late Night
06:00 AM05:00 AM
Early Morning EST
07:00 AM06:00 AM
Night Time
08:00 AM07:00 AM
Night Time
09:00 AM08:00 AM
Work Starts EST
10:00 AM09:00 AM
Night Time
11:00 AM10:00 AM
Night Time

Eastern Standard Time (EST)

UTC-5
UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT)
Representative City:

New York

IANA Identifier:

America/New_York

Central Standard Time (CST)

UTC-6
UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)
Representative City:

Chicago

IANA Identifier:

America/Chicago

Quick Reference

Time Difference: CST is 1 hours behind EST
Note: Time difference may vary during daylight saving transitions
UTC Offsets: EST = UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT), CST = UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)
2025 DST (North America): Starts March 9 at 2:00 AM, Ends November 2 at 2:00 AM

Frequently Asked Questions

CST (Central Standard Time) is 1 hours behind EST (Eastern Standard Time). This means when it's 12:00 PM in New York (EST), it's 11:00 AM in Chicago (CST).

The best time to call from EST to CST is during overlapping business hours. For EST callers, schedule between 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST to ensure both parties are within standard business hours.

The time difference may change during daylight saving transitions if one region observes DST while the other doesn't. Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT)) and Central Standard Time (UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)) may have different DST schedules.

EST includes cities like New York. CST includes cities like Chicago. Both time zones cover important business and cultural centers.

In 2025, DST in North America starts on March 9 at 2:00 AM and ends on November 2 at 2:00 AM. Other regions may have different DST schedules or not observe DST at all.