Current local time in Chicago, United States
The live clock above shows the time in Chicago. Chicago is in the America/Chicago time zone, UTC−5 right now (CDT).
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Illinois |
| Population | about 5.9 million |
| Coordinates | 41.83° N, 87.75° W |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Abbreviation | CST / CDT |
| UTC offset | UTC−6 (winter) / UTC−5 (summer) |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
Daylight saving time
Chicago uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC−6 (CST) and UTC−5 (CDT). The next change is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:54 AM | 7:02 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | 5:16 AM | 8:29 PM | 15 h 13 min |
| September equinox | 6:38 AM | 6:49 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| December solstice | 7:15 AM | 4:23 PM | 9 h 7 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Chicago at about 12:00 PM in mid-January, and about 12:56 PM in mid-July. On standard time, local clocks run about 9 minutes behind the sun, because Chicago sits at 87.8° W, while its time zone is centred on 90.0° W.
Chicago time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 hour ahead | |
| Los Angeles | 2 hours behind | |
| London | 6 hours ahead | |
| Paris | 7 hours ahead | |
| Dubai | 10 hours ahead in Jan, 9 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Mumbai | 11.5 hours ahead in Jan, 10.5 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Shanghai | 14 hours ahead in Jan, 13 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Tokyo | 15 hours ahead in Jan, 14 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Sydney | 17 hours ahead in Jan, 15 hours ahead in Jul |
Time difference between Chicago and
- Singapore
- Mexico City
- Vancouver
- Houston
- Delhi
- Tokyo
- London
- Hong Kong
- Karachi
- Bangkok
- Shanghai
- Miami
- Dubai
- Manila
- Moscow
- Sao Paulo
- Berlin
- Phoenix
- Istanbul
- Rome
- Mumbai
- Amsterdam
- Toronto
- Madrid
- Paris
- Sydney
- Dublin
- New York
- Los Angeles
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Evanston | 25 km (15 mi) | same time |
| Gary | 45 km (28 mi) | same time |
| Joliet | 45 km (28 mi) | same time |
| Aurora | 46 km (29 mi) | same time |
| Elgin | 50 km (31 mi) | same time |
| Waukegan | 60 km (37 mi) | same time |
| Racine | 100 km (62 mi) | same time |
| Rockford | 119 km (74 mi) | same time |
Other cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Houston
- Philadelphia
- Dallas
- Miami
- Boston
- Detroit
- Atlanta
- Washington DC
- Phoenix
- San Francisco
- San Diego
- Denver
- Seattle
- Irvine
- Pittsburgh
- Minneapolis
Questions people ask
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago is in the America/Chicago time zone, UTC−6, or UTC−5 during daylight saving time.
Does Chicago have daylight saving time?
Chicago uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC−6 (CST) and UTC−5 (CDT). The next change is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Why isn't noon in Chicago when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Chicago's clocks follow a zone centred on 90.0° W, so on standard time they run about 9 minutes behind the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
Convert a time to or from Chicago · add Chicago to your world clock · search any city
Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).