PST to CST Time Converter

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

Los Angeles (PST)
Chicago (CST)
CST is 2 hours ahead of PST

Quick Time Conversion

Los Angeles
Pacific Standard Time
UTC-8 (PST) / UTC-7 (PDT)
Chicago
Central Standard Time
UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)

Current Time Right Now

Pacific (PST/PDT)
Central (CST/CDT)

Updates live every second

24-Hour Visual Comparison

PST (LA)
12am PST
1am PST
2am PST
3am PST
4am PST
5am PST
6am PST
7am PST
8am PST
9am PST
10am PST
11am PST
12pm PST
1pm PST
2pm PST
3pm PST
4pm PST
5pm PST
6pm PST
7pm PST
8pm PST
9pm PST
10pm PST
11pm PST
12a6a12p6p12a
CST (Chicago)
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
11pm CST
12am CST
1am CST
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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 PST and CST:

Best Window (PST)
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Which is (CST)
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Both parties in business hours
9-hour overlap window
Ideal for cross-country US teams

Pro Tip: Schedule calls between 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM PST for optimal overlap with CST business hours

Complete PST to CST Conversion Table

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

Pacific Standard Time (PST)

UTC-8
UTC-7 during PDT
Major Cities:
  • • Los Angeles
  • • San Francisco
  • • Seattle
  • • San Diego
  • • Portland
Daylight Saving:

PDT (UTC-7) from March to November

IANA Identifier:

America/Los_Angeles

Central Standard Time (CST)

UTC-6
UTC-5 during CDT
Major Cities:
  • • Chicago
  • • Houston
  • • Dallas
  • • San Antonio
  • • Austin
Daylight Saving:

CDT (UTC-5) from March to November

IANA Identifier:

America/Chicago

Pacific Standard Time (PST) vs Central Standard Time (CST)

Pacific Standard Time (PST)Central Standard Time (CST)

Pacific Standard Time (PST) is 8 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-8). During daylight saving time, the region observes Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which is UTC-7.

Central Standard Time (CST) is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-6). During daylight saving time, the region observes Central Daylight Time (CDT), which is UTC-5.

Where Is It Used In The United States?

  • California: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento
  • Washington: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver
  • Oregon: Portland, Eugene, Salem
  • Nevada: Most of the state (except West Wendover)
  • Illinois: Chicago, Springfield, Rockford
  • Texas: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin
  • Wisconsin: Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay
  • Minnesota: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth
  • Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis (most of state)
  • Louisiana: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport
  • Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa
  • Plus: Iowa, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee (western portions)

Key Facts

  • UTC Offset: UTC-8 (PST) / UTC-7 (PDT)
  • Region: Westernmost region of North America
  • Known For: Major tech hubs (Silicon Valley, Seattle)
  • Largest Cities: Los Angeles (4M), San Diego (1.4M), San Jose (1M)
  • Daylight Saving: Begins 2nd Sunday in March, ends 1st Sunday in November
  • UTC Offset: UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)
  • Region: Central United States and parts of Canada
  • Known For: Major business and industrial centers
  • Largest Cities: Chicago (2.7M), Houston (2.3M), Dallas (1.3M)
  • Coverage: Second most populous US time zone
  • Daylight Saving: Begins 2nd Sunday in March, ends 1st Sunday in November

Quick Reference

Time Difference: CST is 2 hours ahead of PST year-round
Consistency: This difference remains constant because both observe DST at the same dates
Distance: Covers approximately 1,500 miles across the United States
UTC Offsets: PST = UTC-8, CST = UTC-6 | PDT = UTC-7, CDT = UTC-5 (during DST)
2025 DST: Starts March 9 at 2:00 AM, Ends November 2 at 2:00 AM

Frequently Asked Questions

CST (Central Standard Time) is 2 hours ahead of PST (Pacific Standard Time). This means when it's 8:00 AM in Los Angeles (PST), it's 10:00 AM in Chicago (CST).

The best time to call from PST to CST is between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM PST, which corresponds to 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM CST. This ensures both parties are within standard business hours.

No, the time difference remains constant at 2 hours because both PST and CST observe Daylight Saving Time at the same dates. PST becomes PDT (UTC-7) and CST becomes CDT (UTC-5).

PST cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. CST cities include Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

In 2025, DST starts on March 9 at 2:00 AM and ends on November 2 at 2:00 AM. During DST, PST becomes PDT and CST becomes CDT.

Related Time Converters

CST → PSTPST → ESTCST → ESTPST → MSTEST → GMTPST → ISTEST → JSTView All