Also known as: Central Time (CT) and Central Daylight Time (CDT)
Currently observing CST. Areas with same time currently (UTC -6). Currently observing CST – Central Standard Time. Currently has same time zone offset as CST (UTC -6) but different time zone name.Central Standard Time (CST) is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is in use during standard time in: North America, Central America.
See full time zone map
What Is Central Standard Time?Central Standard Time (CST) is the second easternmost time zone in the United States and is also used in Canada.
It covers all or parts of 20 states in the US and three provinces or territories in Canada. It is also used in Mexico and Central America.
About a third of the population in the USA live in the CST time zone. It spans from northern Canada and all the way south to Costa Rica near the equator.
In North America, Central Standard Time shares a border with Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the east and with Mountain Standard Time (MST) in the west.
Central Standard Time ZoneCentral Standard Time (CST) is a standard time zone in use from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March—when Daylight Sing Time (DST) is not in effect. Central Daylight Time (CDT) is used during the remainder of the year.
CST Is the Central Time ZoneIn everyday usage, CST is often referred to as Central Time (CT) or the Central Time Zone. This can add a bit of confusion as the term Central Time does not differentiate between standard time and Daylight Sing Time, so Central Time switches between CST and CDT in areas that use DST during part of the year.
Most North American time zones also he generic terms, including Pacific Time (PT), Mountain Time (MT), Eastern Time (ET), and Atlantic Time (AT).
Converting Central Time to Other US Time Zones Central Standard Time (CST) is 1 hour behind Eastern Standard Time (EST). To convert CST to EST, you he to add one hour. Central Standard Time (CST) is 1 hour ahead of Mountain Standard Time (MST). To convert CST to MST, you he to subtract one hour. Central Standard Time (CST) is 2 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST). To convert CST to PST, you he to subtract two hours.Time Zone Converter: UTC to CST
Where and When is CST Observed? North America US states using CST in the winter and CDT in the summer: Alabama Arkansas Florida - North-West parts ShowBay, Calhoun, Escambia, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties and norther Gulf county
Illinois Indiana - these few north-western counties near Chicago (Lake, Porter, La Porte, Newton, Jasper, Starke) and these south-western counties in Indiana near Evansville ShowGibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Perry, Spencer
Iowa Kansas - except these western counties ShowGreeley, Hamilton, Sherman and Wallace - MST/MDT
Kentucky - Western part ShowAdair, Allen, Ballard, Barren, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Diess, Edmonson, Fulton, Gres, Grayson, Green, Hansock, Hart, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Russell, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren and Webster counties
Louisiana Michigan - A few western counties ShowDickinson, Gogebic, Iron, and Menominee
Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska - Eastern parts ShowAll except Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Chase, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Dundy, Garden, Grant, Hooker, Keith, Kimball, Morrill, Perkins, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux counties and the western part of Cherry county which are on MST/MDT
North Dakota - North and Eastern parts Showcounties of Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Calier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, Lamoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams and northern parts of McKenzie and Dunn, westernmost part of Morton and Fort Yates in Sioux
Oklahoma South Dakota - Eastern parts Showcounties of Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Dison, Day, Deuel, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Gregory, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Potter, Roberts, Spink, Sanborn, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Yankton, Walworth and eastern parts of Stanley
Tennessee - Western part Showcounties of Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Didson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, McNairy, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trusdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne Weakley, White, Willamson, Wilson
Texas - All, but a few counties in west ShowEl Paso and Hudspeth and part of Culberson
Wisconsin Canadian provinces using CST in the winter and CDT in the summer: Manitoba Ontario - most parts west of 90 West. (Parts east of 90 West is on EST/EDT) Saskatchewan - only Creighton and Denare Beach Canadian provinces using CST all year: Ontario - a few communities ShowAtikokan, New Osnaburgh, Pickle Lake
Saskatchewan - most of it Showexcept Creighton and Denare Beach which use CDT during summer, and Lloydminster which is in the MST/MDT zone
Mexican states using CST in the winter and CDT in the summer: Nuevo León Tamaulipas Central America Central American countries using CST all year: Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Other Central Standard Time ZonesTime zones can he similar names and abbreviations but he a different UTC offset:
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST): UTC +9:30 Australian Central Western Standard Time (ACWST): UTC +8:45 Central European Time (CET): UTC +1 Central Africa Time (CAT): UTC +2 Central Indonesian Time (WITA): UTC +2 Other Time Zones in UTC -6Some time zones exist that he the same offset as CST, but can be found under a different name:
EAST – Easter Island Standard Time GALT – Galapagos Time MDT – Mountain Daylight Time S – Sierra Time Zone CST time now1:25:59am
Sunday, November 23, 2025
UTC Offset: UTC -6 1 hour ahead of Ogden Advertising Other namesCST – Tiempo Central Estándar (Spanish)HNC – Heure Normale du Centre (French)
Other time zones named CSTCST – Cuba Standard TimeCST – China Standard Time
Example citiesMexico – Mexico City (Winter)Canada – Regina (All Year)Guatemala – Guatemala City (All Year)
Related time zonesCDT – Central Daylight Time (Daylight Time)
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