What is CST?
CST stands for Central Standard Time. Its offset from UTC is UTC-6, 6 hours behind UTC.
CST is the winter time of the central United States and Canada, and the all-year time of Mexico City and much of Central America. It is six hours behind UTC.
CST is also used for China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC-5). This page is about the North American Central Standard Time, UTC-6. Manitoba stopped changing its clocks in 2026 and now stays on UTC-5 all year.
Where CST is used
Central United States, Canada and Mexico in winter. The table shows examples, not every place. Entries in bold are on CST at that moment.
| Place | Mid-January 2026 | Mid-July 2026 | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | CST (UTC-6) | CDT (UTC-5) | CST (UTC-6) |
| Mexico City | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) |
| Regina | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) |
| Guatemala | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) |
| Costa Rica | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) |
| El Salvador | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) | CST (UTC-6) |
| Matamoros | CST (UTC-6) | CDT (UTC-5) | CST (UTC-6) |
See CDT, the matching summer time.
Time difference between CST and other cities
| City | Compared with CST, now | Changes in the next 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | 1 hour ahead | Sun 14 Mar 2027, 07:00 UTC: 2 hours ahead |
| Los Angeles | 2 hours behind | Sun 14 Mar 2027, 10:00 UTC: 1 hour behind |
| London | 6 hours ahead | Sun 28 Mar 2027, 01:00 UTC: 7 hours ahead Sun 31 Oct 2027, 01:00 UTC: 6 hours ahead |
| Dubai | 10 hours ahead | No change |
| Mumbai | 11 hours 30 minutes ahead | No change |
| Singapore | 14 hours ahead | No change |
| Tokyo | 15 hours ahead | No change |
| Sydney | 17 hours ahead | Sat 3 Apr 2027, 16:00 UTC: 16 hours ahead Sat 2 Oct 2027, 16:00 UTC: 17 hours ahead |
A gap changes when the two places change their clocks on different dates. Dates are in UTC.
Working hours that overlap with CST
When it is 09:00 to 17:00 in CST, where is it also a working day (09:00 to 17:00)? This uses today’s clock settings, so check the meeting planner for weeks when clocks change.
| City | Shared working hours |
|---|---|
| New York City | 09:00 to 16:00 in CST (10:00 to 17:00 in New York City) |
| Los Angeles | 11:00 to 17:00 in CST (09:00 to 15:00 in Los Angeles) |
| London | 09:00 to 11:00 in CST (15:00 to 17:00 in London) |
| Dubai | No shared working hours |
| Mumbai | No shared working hours |
| Singapore | No shared working hours |
| Tokyo | No shared working hours |
| Sydney | 16:00 to 17:00 in CST (09:00 to 10:00 in Sydney, next day) |