EST vs CST
Eastern Time (US & Canada) (EST/EDT) is UTC−5 in winter and UTC−4 in summer. Central Time (US & Canada) (CST/CDT) is UTC−6 in winter and UTC−5 in summer.
The difference is a constant 1 hour behind — both zones switch to daylight saving on the same dates.
EST to CST conversion table
Applies all year:
| EST/EDT | CST/CDT |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM (−1 day) |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
Scheduling between EST and CST
With only 1 hour between them, normal working hours overlap most of the day — a call at 10 AM in Eastern Time (US & Canada) is 9:00 AM in Central Time (US & Canada). Always write the city alongside the abbreviation in invites — several abbreviations (CST, IST, AST) are used by more than one region.
Related conversions
PST to EST · EST to PST · CST to EST · MST to EST · EST to MST · PST to CST · CST to PST · EST to AST · AST to EST · UTC to EST · all zones