Current time in Chicago
World time board
Chicago · United StatesUTC-05:00
12:29 AMFRI 02.10.2026
Now 12:29 AM|Live
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- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- UTC offset
- UTC-05:00
- Abbreviation
- CDT
- Daylight saving time
- Observed
- Next clock change
- November 1, 2026
- Country
- United States
- Population
- 2,664,452
Chicago time difference
How far Chicago is ahead of or behind the world's main business hubs right now. Daylight saving time is already applied where it is in effect.
| Compared with | Time difference | UTC offset |
|---|---|---|
| London | 6h aheadChanges with DST | UTC+01:00 |
| New York City | 1h ahead | UTC-04:00 |
| Los Angeles | 2h behind | UTC-07:00 |
| Tokyo | 14h aheadChanges with DST | UTC+09:00 |
| Dubai | 9h aheadChanges with DST | UTC+04:00 |
| Shanghai | 13h aheadChanges with DST | UTC+08:00 |
Clock changes in Chicago
| Date | Local time | UTC offset |
|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM | UTC-05:00 → UTC-06:00 |
| March 14, 2027 | 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM | UTC-06:00 → UTC-05:00 |
Sunrise, sunset and solar time in Chicago
- Sunrise today
- 6:48 AM
- Sunset today
- 6:30 PM
- Day length today
- 11 hours 42 minutes
- Solar noon today
- 12:39 PM
- Longest day
- 15 hours 13 minutes (June 21)
- Shortest day
- 9 hours 8 minutes (December 21)
Standard time in Chicago closely follows the sun: solar noon comes at about 11:51 AM. Daylight saving time moves solar noon one more hour later on the clock.
Time zone history since 1970
Clocks have changed twice a year throughout the period since 1970.
Changes outside the seasonal pattern:
- January 6, 1974: UTC-06:00 → UTC-05:00
- October 27, 1974: UTC-05:00 → UTC-06:00
Source: IANA time zone database, version 2025b.
Frequently asked questions
- What time zone is Chicago in?
- Chicago uses the America/Chicago (CDT) time zone and is currently on UTC-05:00.
- Does Chicago observe daylight saving time?
- Yes. The next clock change is on November 1, 2026; after it, UTC-06:00 applies.