CST time now |
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19:21:40 Sat, 26 Jul 2025
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| UTC Offset: UTC -6 |
Central Standard Time (CST) operates at UTC−6 and is commonly known as "Central Time," covering both its standard form (CST) and its daylight saving form, Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5). CST is observed during the winter months across a broad portion of the central United States, central Canada, parts of Mexico, and much of Central America, providing a uniform time standard for regions spanning from the Gulf Coast to the Canadian Prairies.
Importance and Global Use of CST
CST is crucial for synchronizing business, transportation, government operations, and media in major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Winnipeg, and Mexico City. By providing a stable time framework, CST helps coordinate rail, air, and freight schedules and supports industries ranging from agriculture to finance that operate across vast territories in North America and Central America.
Internationally, CST also plays an important role in bridging time differences between the Eastern and Mountain time zones, supporting smooth communication and trade within the Americas. Its predictable offset makes it a practical reference point for global organizations working across North America, Latin America, and international supply chains.
Where and When CST is used worldwide
North America
US states using CST during winter and CDT during summer:
- Alabama - all except Phenix City InfoPhenix City uses EST/EDT time zone.
- Arkansas
- Florida - northwestern counties InfoNorthwestern counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington, and northern part of Gulf county.
- Illinois
- Indiana - 12 counties only InfoNorthwestern counties near Chicago (Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, and Starke) and southwestern counties near Evansville (Gibson, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick).
- Iowa
- Kansas - all except few western counties InfoGreeley, Hamilton, Sherman and Wallace uses MST/MDT time zone.
- Kentucky - western half counties InfoWestern half counties are: Adair, Allen, Ballard, Barren, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hart, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, McCracken, McLean, Marshall, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Russell, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren, and Webster.
- Louisiana
- Michigan - few western counties onlyInfoDickinson, Gogebic, Iron, and Menominee
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska - eastern counties InfoAll except Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Chase, Cherry (west part), Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Dundy, Garden, Grant, Hooker, Keith, Kimball, Morrill, Perkins, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux counties of Nebraska use MST/MDT time zones.
- North Dakota - most of the state InfoAll except Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn (most), Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, McKenzie (south part), Mercer, Morton (most), Sioux (most), Slope, and Stark counties of North Dakota follow MST/MDT time zones.
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota - most of the state InfoAll except Bennett, Butte, Corson, Custer, Dewey, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Jones (west part), Lawrence, Meade, Mellette, Pennington, Perkins, Shannon, Stanley (west part), Todd, and Ziebach counties of South Dakota follow MST/MDT time zones.
- Tennessee - central and western counties InfoCentral and Western counties are: Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, McNairy, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, and Wilson.
- Texas - most of the state InfoAll except El Paso, Hudspeth, and most part of Culberson counties of Texas follow MST/MDT time zones.
- Wisconsin
Canadian provinces and territories using CST during winter and CDT during summer:
- Manitoba
- Nunavut - between 85° West and 102° West, (Resolute, Repulse Bay, Baker Lake, west shore of Hudson Bay), except on Southampton Island.InfoSouthampton Island (Coral Harbour) observe EST all year.
- Ontario - most part of west of 90° West and Big Trout Lake area in east of 90° West Infowest of 90° West: Atikokan area and New Osnaburgh / Pickle Lake area observe EST all year. Shebandowan and Upsala areas observe EST/EDT time zone.
- Saskatchewan - Creighton and surrounding area only
Canadian provinces and territories using CST all year:
- Saskatchewan - most of the province Infoexcept Creighton which uses CDT in summer, and Lloydminster which uses MST/MDT time zone.
Mexican states using CST during winter and CDT during summer:
- Chihuahua - northeast border area only
- Coahuila - north border area only
- Nuevo León - north border area only
- Tamaulipas - north border area only
Mexican states using CST all year:
- Aguascalientes
- Campeche
- Chiapas
- Chihuahua - most of the state InfoExcept northwest border area which observe MST/MDT time zone and northeast border area which observe CDT in the summer.
- Ciudad de México
- Coahuila - most of the state InfoExcept North border area which observe CDT in the summer.
- Colima
- Durango
- Guanajuato
- Guerrero
- Hidalgo
- Jalisco
- México
- Michoacán
- Morelos
- Nayarit - all except the municipality of Bahía de Banderas InfoMunicipality of Bahía de Banderas observe MST all year.
- Nuevo León - most of the state InfoExcept North border area which observe CDT in the summer.
- Oaxaca
- Puebla
- Querétaro
- San Luis Potosí
- Tabasco
- Tamaulipas - most of the state InfoExcept North border area which observe CDT in the summer.
- Tlaxcala
- Veracruz
- Yucatán
- Zacatecas
Central America
Central American countries using CST all year:
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
Other Time Zones in UTC -6
Other time zones share the same offset as Central Standard Time (CST), but are known by different names. While their clocks align, they may represent different regions or countries based on local time zone definitions.