EST → CST Converter
US domestic business — financial services on the East Coast coordinate with logistics, agriculture, and energy sectors centered in Chicago, Dallas, and Houston.
EST → CST
2:40 PM
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Thursday, June 11, 2026
UTC-4 (DST active)
1:40 PM
Central Daylight Time (CDT)
Thursday, June 11, 2026
UTC-5 (DST active)
Time Zone Converter
EST·New York
2:40 PM
Thursday, June 11, 2026
CST·Chicago
1:40 PM
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Compare Times
| EST | CST |
|---|
Morning
| EST | CST |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM EST | 11:00 PM CST |
| 1:00 AM EST | 12:00 AM CST |
| 2:00 AM EST | 1:00 AM CST |
| 3:00 AM EST | 2:00 AM CST |
| 4:00 AM EST | 3:00 AM CST |
| 5:00 AM EST | 4:00 AM CST |
| 6:00 AM EST | 5:00 AM CST |
| 7:00 AM EST | 6:00 AM CST |
| 8:00 AM EST | 7:00 AM CST |
| 9:00 AM EST | 8:00 AM CST |
| 10:00 AM EST | 9:00 AM CST |
| 11:00 AM EST | 10:00 AM CST |
Afternoon
| EST | CST |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM EST | 11:00 AM CST |
| 1:00 PM EST | 12:00 PM CST |
| 2:00 PM EST | 1:00 PM CST |
| 3:00 PM EST | 2:00 PM CST |
| 4:00 PM EST | 3:00 PM CST |
Evening
| EST | CST |
|---|---|
| 5:00 PM EST | 4:00 PM CST |
| 6:00 PM EST | 5:00 PM CST |
| 7:00 PM EST | 6:00 PM CST |
| 8:00 PM EST | 7:00 PM CST |
| 9:00 PM EST | 8:00 PM CST |
| 10:00 PM EST | 9:00 PM CST |
| 11:00 PM EST | 10:00 PM CST |
Frequently Asked Questions: EST to CST
What is the time difference between Eastern Time and Central Time?
CST is 1 hour behind EST (standard time).
What time is midnight in EST in CST?
Midnight (12:00 AM) in Eastern Time translates to 11:00 PM CST in Central Time.
When do business hours overlap between EST and CST?
The business hours overlap window is 10:00–17:00 EST (09:00–16:00 CST). There is a strong overlap with plenty of shared working hours.
Common Time Conversions
EST · New York →
CST · Chicago →
MST · Denver →
PST · Los Angeles →
AKST · Anchorage →
HST · Honolulu →
UTC · Universal →
GMT · London →
IST · New Delhi →
CET · Paris →
How Time Zone Conversion Works
Time zone conversion works by comparing the UTC offset of one location to another. Every city or region is measured relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which acts as the global reference point for civil time.
CST is 1 hour behind EST (standard time).
Daylight Saving Time: Both EST and CST observe Daylight Saving Time on the same schedule. The 1-hour difference is constant all year — there are no weeks where the gap shifts.
Best time to call Chicago from New York
Planning a remote meeting or international call? The optimal business hours overlap between New York and Chicago is strong, with significant shared business hours available.
Try Meeting Planner for multi-city group scheduling →EST
10:00–17:00
Eastern Time
CST
09:00–16:00
Central Time
Recommended time: 13:30 EST / 12:30 CST
DST schedule for 2026
Current-year daylight saving start and end dates for the selected zones.
EST · Eastern Time
Standard offset −05:00
- Starts
- Mar 8, 2026 · 02:00 → 03:00
- second_sunday_of_march
- Ends
- Nov 1, 2026 · 02:00 → 01:00
- first_sunday_of_november
- Daylight time
- EDT · −04:00
CST · Central Time
Standard offset −06:00
- Starts
- Mar 8, 2026 · 02:00 → 03:00
- second_sunday_of_march
- Ends
- Nov 1, 2026 · 02:00 → 01:00
- first_sunday_of_november
- Daylight time
- CDT · −05:00
Most of Mexico no longer observes DST as of 2022; only a few border-state municipalities still do.
Principal Cities
EST — Eastern Time
- New YorkUnited States
- TorontoCanada
- PhiladelphiaUnited States
- Washington D.C.United States
CST — Central Time
- Mexico CityMexico
- ChicagoUnited States
- HoustonUnited States
- GuadalajaraMexico
Flight Information
Route
JFK ↔ ORD
Avg. flight time
2h 45m
Direct flights
Available
~2h 45m direct flight.