CST to AEST Converter
See the current time in CST (Chicago) and AEST (Sydney) side by side, the exact time difference right now, and convert any time between the two zones.
CST to AEST Converter
Uses your browser's built-in, DST-aware time-zone data.
About converting CST to AEST
Central Time (Chicago) and Australian Eastern Time (Sydney) are in different time zones, so a meeting, call or stream that's convenient in one may be early or late in the other. The clocks above update live and account for daylight saving automatically, so the time difference you see is the real one for today — not a fixed number that goes stale twice a year.
To plan across the two, type a time into the CST box (or tap a quick preset) and read the AEST equivalent, including a "next day" or "previous day" note when the conversion crosses midnight. For any other pair of zones or cities, use the full timezone converter.
CST vs AEST: the time difference through the year
The gap between CST and AEST changes during the year because they switch to and from daylight saving on different dates.
| Period | Difference |
|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026 | AEST 16 h ahead of CST |
| Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 13, 2027 | AEST 17 h ahead of CST |
| Mar 14, 2027 – Apr 3, 2027 | AEST 16 h ahead of CST |
| Apr 4, 2027 – Oct 2, 2027 | AEST 15 h ahead of CST |
| Oct 3, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | AEST 16 h ahead of CST |
Daylight-saving changes in the next year
| Zone | Date | Offset | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CST | Nov 1, 2026 | UTC−5 → UTC−6 | Clocks go back 1 hour |
| CST | Mar 14, 2027 | UTC−6 → UTC−5 | Clocks go forward 1 hour |
| CST | Nov 7, 2027 | UTC−5 → UTC−6 | Clocks go back 1 hour |
| AEST | Apr 4, 2027 | UTC+11 → UTC+10 | Clocks go back 1 hour |
| AEST | Oct 3, 2027 | UTC+10 → UTC+11 | Clocks go forward 1 hour |
CST to AEST conversion table
| CST | AEST (when 16 h ahead) | AEST (when 17 h ahead) |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 1:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 2:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 3:00 AM | 7:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 4:00 AM | 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 5:00 AM | 9:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 6:00 AM | 10:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 11:00 PM | 12:00 AM (next day) |
| 8:00 AM | 12:00 AM (next day) | 1:00 AM (next day) |
| 9:00 AM | 1:00 AM (next day) | 2:00 AM (next day) |
| 10:00 AM | 2:00 AM (next day) | 3:00 AM (next day) |
| 11:00 AM | 3:00 AM (next day) | 4:00 AM (next day) |
| 12:00 PM | 4:00 AM (next day) | 5:00 AM (next day) |
| 1:00 PM | 5:00 AM (next day) | 6:00 AM (next day) |
| 2:00 PM | 6:00 AM (next day) | 7:00 AM (next day) |
| 3:00 PM | 7:00 AM (next day) | 8:00 AM (next day) |
| 4:00 PM | 8:00 AM (next day) | 9:00 AM (next day) |
| 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM (next day) | 10:00 AM (next day) |
| 6:00 PM | 10:00 AM (next day) | 11:00 AM (next day) |
| 7:00 PM | 11:00 AM (next day) | 12:00 PM (next day) |
| 8:00 PM | 12:00 PM (next day) | 1:00 PM (next day) |
| 9:00 PM | 1:00 PM (next day) | 2:00 PM (next day) |
| 10:00 PM | 2:00 PM (next day) | 3:00 PM (next day) |
| 11:00 PM | 3:00 PM (next day) | 4:00 PM (next day) |
Best time to meet
- 9 AM–5 PM overlap when AEST is 16 h aheadnone — closest fit 4:00 PM–8:00 PM CST = 8:00 AM–12:00 PM AEST (8 AM–8 PM in both)
- 9 AM–5 PM overlap when AEST is 17 h ahead4:00 PM–5:00 PM CST = 9:00 AM–10:00 AM AEST (1 h)
The two zones
Central Time is UTC−6 in winter (CST) and UTC−5 in summer (CDT). It covers Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Mexico City (which no longer uses DST) and Winnipeg. US daylight saving runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Sydney is on AEST (UTC+10) from April to October and on daylight-saving AEDT (UTC+11) from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. Queensland (Brisbane) stays on AEST all year.