Current local time in Elgin, United States
The live clock above shows the time in Elgin. Elgin is in the America/Chicago time zone, UTC−5 right now (CDT).
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Illinois |
| Population | about 244,000 |
| Coordinates | 42.04° N, 88.29° W |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Abbreviation | CST / CDT |
| UTC offset | UTC−6 (winter) / UTC−5 (summer) |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
Daylight saving time
Elgin 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:04 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | 5:17 AM | 8:32 PM | 15 h 14 min |
| September equinox | 6:40 AM | 6:51 PM | 12 h 11 min |
| December solstice | 7:17 AM | 4:24 PM | 9 h 6 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Elgin at about 12:02 PM in mid-January, and about 12:58 PM in mid-July. On standard time, local clocks run about 7 minutes behind the sun, because Elgin sits at 88.3° W, while its time zone is centred on 90.0° W.
Elgin time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Elgin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Elgin |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 30 km (19 mi) | same time |
| Evanston | 49 km (30 mi) | same time |
| Chicago | 50 km (31 mi) | same time |
| Waukegan | 51 km (32 mi) | same time |
| Joliet | 59 km (36 mi) | same time |
| Rockford | 69 km (43 mi) | same time |
| Racine | 86 km (53 mi) | same time |
| Gary | 95 km (59 mi) | same time |
Other cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Philadelphia
- Dallas
- Miami
- Boston
- Detroit
- Atlanta
- Washington DC
- Phoenix
- San Francisco
- San Diego
- Denver
- Seattle
- Irvine
- Pittsburgh
Questions people ask
What time zone is Elgin in?
Elgin is in the America/Chicago time zone, UTC−6, or UTC−5 during daylight saving time.
Does Elgin have daylight saving time?
Elgin 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 Elgin when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Elgin's clocks follow a zone centred on 90.0° W, so on standard time they run about 7 minutes behind the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
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Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).