Time zone converter

EST to CST

On Oct 23, 2026, Central Time is 1 hour behind Eastern Time: 9:00 AM EDT is 8:00 AM CDT. The gap changes during the year because of daylight saving time; the dates are below.

Eastern Time
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Current time in Eastern Time
Central Time
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Current time in Central Time
Pick a date and time to convert.

CST vs EST over the next 12 months

PeriodCST isExample
Oct 23, 2026 to Nov 1, 20261 hour behind9:00 AM EDT = 8:00 AM CDT
Nov 1, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026same time9:00 AM EST = 8:00 AM CST
Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 14, 20271 hour behind9:00 AM EST = 8:00 AM CST
Mar 14, 2027 to Mar 14, 20272 hours behind9:00 AM EDT = 8:00 AM CDT
Mar 14, 2027 onwards1 hour behind9:00 AM EDT = 8:00 AM CDT

EST to CST conversion table

Every hour of a weekday around Oct 23, 2026, in both zones.

Eastern TimeCentral Time
12:00 AM11:00 PM (previous day)
1:00 AM12:00 AM
2:00 AM1:00 AM
3:00 AM2:00 AM
4:00 AM3:00 AM
5:00 AM4:00 AM
6:00 AM5:00 AM
7:00 AM6:00 AM
8:00 AM7:00 AM
9:00 AM8:00 AM
10:00 AM9:00 AM
11:00 AM10:00 AM
12:00 PM11:00 AM
1:00 PM12:00 PM
2:00 PM1:00 PM
3:00 PM2:00 PM
4:00 PM3:00 PM
5:00 PM4:00 PM
6:00 PM5:00 PM
7:00 PM6:00 PM
8:00 PM7:00 PM
9:00 PM8:00 PM
10:00 PM9:00 PM
11:00 PM10:00 PM

Best time for a meeting

Normal 9-to-5 working hours overlap for 7 hours on a weekday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EDT, which is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CDT.

Comparing more than two places? The meeting planner lines up working hours for up to six cities.

Daylight saving time

Eastern Time (EST/EDT)

  • Nov 1, 2026: clocks go back 1 hour at 2:00 AM (UTC−4 → UTC−5)
  • Mar 14, 2027: clocks go forward 1 hour at 2:00 AM (UTC−5 → UTC−4)

Central Time (CST/CDT)

  • Nov 1, 2026: clocks go back 1 hour at 2:00 AM (UTC−5 → UTC−6)
  • Mar 14, 2027: clocks go forward 1 hour at 2:00 AM (UTC−6 → UTC−5)

Where these clocks are used

  • Eastern Time (EST/EDT): New York, Toronto, Miami, Atlanta. IANA zone America/New_York.
  • Central Time (CST/CDT): Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Winnipeg. IANA zone America/Chicago.

Questions

What time is it in CST when it is 9 AM EST?

On Oct 23, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT is 8:00 AM CDT. On other dates the answer can shift by an hour because of daylight saving time; the table of periods on this page gives each one.

How many hours behind EST is CST?

It depends on the date. Oct 23, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026: CST is 1 hour behind. Nov 1, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026: CST is same time. Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 14, 2027: CST is 1 hour behind. Mar 14, 2027 to Mar 14, 2027: CST is 2 hours behind. Mar 14, 2027 onwards: CST is 1 hour behind.

Do EST and CST observe daylight saving time?

Eastern Time switches to EDT (UTC−4) in summer and back to EST (UTC−5) in winter. Central Time switches to CDT (UTC−5) in summer and back to CST (UTC−6) in winter.

What is the best time for a meeting between EST and CST?

Normal 9-to-5 working hours overlap for 7 hours on a weekday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EDT, which is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CDT.

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Related conversions

Computed from the IANA time zone database on Oct 23, 2026. Live clocks and the converter use your browser's copy of the same data.