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CT time now (Central Time)

6:03AMCST

UTC−6−1 h vs New York (you)Chicago now: CST, UTC−6

What CT means

CT (Central Time) is the clock of the central United States and Canada. It is not a fixed offset: it means CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) from the second Sunday of March at 2:00 AM to the first Sunday of November at 2:00 AM.

Why the generic name is the safe one

CT names a region’s clock, not an offset. It means standard time in winter and daylight time in summer, the way a wall clock in that region actually reads. That makes it the right choice for meeting invitations, broadcast schedules and opening hours: “2 PM CT” is correct on any date, while “2 PM CST” is wrong for about eight months of the year.

In software, the matching IANA zone is America/Chicago. Store times in UTC and convert with the zone, never with a fixed offset, or your events will drift by an hour twice a year.

Note that most of Mexico, including Mexico City, keeps Central Standard Time all year since 2022; for those places “CT” means UTC−6 in July too.

Where and when CT is used

26 zones follow CT: CST in winter, CDT in summer. Computed from tzdata under the current rules.

Main cityTime zoneCountriesWhen
Mexico CityAmerica/Mexico_CityMexicoall year
ChicagoAmerica/ChicagoUnited Statesall year
CalgaryAmerica/EdmontonCanadaall year
MéridaAmerica/MeridaMexicoall year
MonterreyAmerica/MonterreyMexicoall year
Guatemala CityAmerica/GuatemalaGuatemalaall year
ManaguaAmerica/ManaguaNicaraguaall year
ChihuahuaAmerica/ChihuahuaMexicoall year
TegucigalpaAmerica/TegucigalpaHondurasall year
ReynosaAmerica/MatamorosMexicoall year
San SalvadorAmerica/El_SalvadorEl Salvadorall year
San JoséAmerica/Costa_RicaCosta Ricaall year
SaskatoonAmerica/ReginaCanadaall year
Belize CityAmerica/BelizeBelizeall year
OjinagaAmerica/OjinagaMexicoall year
Bahia BanderasAmerica/Bahia_BanderasMexicoall year
KnoxAmerica/Indiana/KnoxUnited Statesall year
Tell CityAmerica/Indiana/Tell_CityUnited Statesall year
InuvikAmerica/InuvikCanadaall year
MenomineeAmerica/MenomineeUnited Statesall year
BeulahAmerica/North_Dakota/BeulahUnited Statesall year
CenterAmerica/North_Dakota/CenterUnited Statesall year
New SalemAmerica/North_Dakota/New_SalemUnited Statesall year
Rankin InletAmerica/Rankin_InletCanadaall year
ResoluteAmerica/ResoluteCanadaall year
Swift CurrentAmerica/Swift_CurrentCanadaall year

Questions

What is CT in UTC?
CT is UTC−6 in winter (CST) and UTC−5 in summer (CDT).
What does CT stand for?
Central Time.
Is CT the same as CST?
Only in winter. CT follows the local clock, so in summer it means CDT (UTC−5).

Related zones and conversions