From
CST / CDT
Time Converter
CST to UTC Time Converter
Convert Central Time to UTC with a live clock and clean permalinks.
To
UTC
When it is 7:30 AM in Central Time, it is 12:30 PM in UTC.
CST to UTC at a glance
UTC is 5 hours ahead of Central Time. If someone gives you a time in Central Time, move the clock by 5 hours to read it in UTC. A 9:00 AM start in Chicago becomes 2:00 PM in London.
What Central Time covers
Central Time is the working clock for a large part of the US and Canada. Cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Houston use it. It is often the middle ground when teams need to coordinate between the east coast and the west coast.
What UTC covers
UTC is the global reference clock used to compare time zones around the world. It does not change for daylight saving time. It is the safest format for international schedules, APIs, databases, and server logs.
Quick answers
What is the time difference between CST and UTC?
UTC is 5 hours ahead of Central Time.
What happens to a 3:00 PM meeting in CST?
It lands at 8:00 PM in UTC.
Does daylight saving time matter for CST to UTC?
Central Time and UTC are shown using the offsets that are active right now, so the result already reflects any daylight saving change in effect today.