Chicago
What time is it in United States
About Chicago
Chicago operates on UTC-5 (with daylight saving time). What time is it in Chicago? The city is 1 hour behind New York. Check the live clock at the top of this page for the exact current time. Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What time is it in Chicago right now?+
Chicago follows Central Time (CT). The current local time depends on whether Daylight Saving Time is active: during CDT (summer) it is UTC−5, and during CST (winter) it is UTC−6. You can see the live clock at the top of this page.
What time zone is Chicago in?+
Chicago is in the Central Time Zone (America/Chicago). It observes Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−6) in winter and Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5) in summer, switching with U.S. Daylight Saving Time rules.
What is the time difference between Chicago and New York?+
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York. New York runs on Eastern Time (ET), which is always one hour ahead of Chicago's Central Time. For example, when it is 3:00 PM in Chicago, it is 4:00 PM in New York.
What is the time difference between Chicago and London?+
Chicago is typically 6 hours behind London (GMT/BST). The exact offset can vary by 1 hour during the brief periods when one region has shifted for Daylight Saving Time and the other has not yet.
Does Chicago observe Daylight Saving Time?+
Yes. Chicago observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks spring forward 1 hour on the second Sunday of March and fall back 1 hour on the first Sunday of November, in line with the rest of the United States.
What is the UTC offset for Chicago?+
Chicago's UTC offset is UTC−6 during Central Standard Time (November to March) and UTC−5 during Central Daylight Time (March to November).
What is the time difference between Chicago and Los Angeles?+
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Los Angeles operates on Pacific Time (PT), which is 2 hours behind Central Time. When it is 12:00 PM (noon) in Chicago, it is 10:00 AM in Los Angeles.