EST to CST Converter – Eastern Standard Time to Central Standard Time
CST is 1 hour behind EST. EST (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC-5, switching to EDT (UTC-4) during daylight saving, while CST (Central Standard Time) is UTC-6, switching to CDT (UTC-5) during daylight saving. The live clocks below show the current time in both zones, updated every second.
EST to CST Conversion Table (Hour by Hour)
Standard-time conversion from Eastern Standard Time to Central Standard Time. During daylight saving periods the offset shifts by one hour - the live clocks above always show the correct current time.
| EST (UTC-5) | CST (UTC-6) |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM (previous day) |
| 1:00 AM | 12:00 AM |
| 2:00 AM | 1:00 AM |
| 3:00 AM | 2:00 AM |
| 4:00 AM | 3:00 AM |
| 5:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 11:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between EST and CST?
CST is 1 hour behind EST. EST (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC-5 and CST (Central Standard Time) is UTC-6.
How do I convert EST to CST?
Take your time in EST and subtract 1 hours. For example, 9:00 AM EST is 8:00 AM in CST. The live clocks at the top of this page always show the current conversion.
Does daylight saving time affect EST to CST conversion?
Yes. EST switches to EDT (UTC-4) in summer and CST switches to CDT (UTC-5) in summer, so the gap between the two zones changes during DST periods. The live clocks on this page use the IANA timezone database and always reflect the correct current offset automatically.
What is the best time for a meeting between EST and CST?
Look for overlap between 9:00 AM-6:00 PM working hours in both zones using the conversion table above. CST is 1 hour behind EST, so there is normally several hours of business-hours overlap.