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Central Time (CT)

CT time now

04:34:07
Mon, 4 Aug 2025
UTC Offset: UTC -5

Central Time (CT) is a widely used time zone in North America, observed as Central Standard Time (CST) at UTC−6 during the fall and winter months, and as Central Daylight Time (CDT) at UTC−5 during the spring and summer months, when daylight saving time is in effect. CT is used across large parts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America, covering major cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Winnipeg, and Mexico City (which remains on CST year-round).

Importance and Global Use of Central Time

Central Time serves as a critical time zone for regional coordination across the heart of North America. It supports a broad range of activities, from commerce and government operations to agriculture and education, across a large geographic area that spans multiple countries. Its role in connecting time-sensitive sectors between Eastern and Mountain time zones makes it vital for synchronized operations across the continent.

CT is also significant in broadcasting, transportation, logistics, and digital communications, influencing schedules across the U.S. Midwest, southern Canada, and parts of Latin America. Its consistent and widespread use allows for efficient national and international coordination, especially in industries that depend on reliable and unified time references.

Where and When CT is used worldwide

Current time zone map of CT
Currently following CT.
Operating on the same time (UTC -5).

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

Time Zones Around the World by Region

Complete Time Zone Abbreviations List
Time Zone Converter| Clock Widget| Time Zones
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