timeinusa.net

CST to EST — Central to Eastern Time

Eastern Time is 1 hour ahead of Central Time, every week of the year.

The conversion rule

Add 1 hour to Central Time to get Eastern Time. 12:00 PM CST is 1:00 PM EST. Chicago and New York spring forward and fall back together, so the hour between them is permanent.

Nearly the whole workday is shared: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM CT / 10:00 AM–5:00 PM ET. Just keep meetings out of the 4:00–5:00 PM Central slot, when East Coast offices have already emptied.

CST to EST conversion chart

Central (CST/CDT)Eastern (EST/EDT)
12:00 AM (midnight)1:00 AM
1:00 AM2:00 AM
2:00 AM3:00 AM
3:00 AM4:00 AM
4:00 AM5:00 AM
5:00 AM6:00 AM
6:00 AM7:00 AM
7:00 AM8:00 AM
8:00 AM9:00 AM
9:00 AM10:00 AM
10:00 AM11:00 AM
11:00 AM12:00 PM (noon)
12:00 PM (noon)1:00 PM
1:00 PM2:00 PM
2:00 PM3:00 PM
3:00 PM4:00 PM
4:00 PM5:00 PM
5:00 PM6:00 PM
6:00 PM7:00 PM
7:00 PM8:00 PM
8:00 PM9:00 PM
9:00 PM10:00 PM
10:00 PM11:00 PM
11:00 PM12:00 AM (midnight, next day)

Reverse direction: EST to CST (subtract 1 hour). Related: CST to MST, CST to PST, CST to AKST.

Frequently asked questions

Is Central Time always 1 hour behind Eastern?

Yes — Chicago and New York change clocks on the same nights, so whether the zones read CST/EST or CDT/EDT, Central trails Eastern by exactly 60 minutes.

What is 9:00 AM CST in EST?

10:00 AM EST. A Chicago start-of-day call reaches the East Coast mid-morning.

What time do New York markets open in Chicago?

8:30 AM CT. Chicago's futures traders track the 9:30 AM Eastern opening bell an hour earlier on their clocks, and the 4:00 PM close comes at 3:00 PM CT.