timeinusa.net

CST to MST — Central to Mountain Time

Mountain Time is 1 hour behind Central Time, in every season.

The conversion rule

Subtract 1 hour from Central Time to get Mountain Time. 12:00 PM CST is 11:00 AM MST. Both zones observe daylight saving on the same dates, so the difference is steady.

10:00 AM–5:00 PM CT / 9:00 AM–4:00 PM MT keeps both ends inside business hours — seven usable hours a day between Chicago or Dallas and Denver.

Arizona is the wrinkle: Phoenix keeps MST year-round, which leaves it 2 hours behind Chicago during daylight saving — the same reading as Pacific Daylight Time.

CST to MST conversion chart

Central (CST/CDT)Mountain (MST/MDT)
12:00 AM (midnight)11:00 PM (prev. day)
1:00 AM12:00 AM (midnight)
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 PM (noon)11:00 AM
1:00 PM12:00 PM (noon)
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

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the CST–MST gap ever more than 1 hour?

Not between DST-observing areas like Chicago and Denver. It grows to 2 hours only against Arizona in summer, because Phoenix skips daylight saving.

What is 8:00 AM CST in MST?

7:00 AM MST. Central's opening hour lands just before the Mountain workday begins.

What is the 8/7c TV slot in Mountain Time?

US networks generally air prime time at 7:00 PM in the Mountain zone — the same local hour as Central — using a separate mountain feed.