CST to BST Converter
See the current time in CST (Chicago) and BST (London) side by side, the exact time difference right now, and convert any time between the two zones.
CST to BST Converter
Uses your browser's built-in, DST-aware time-zone data.
About converting CST to BST
Central Time (Chicago) and British Time (London) (London) 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 BST 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 BST: the time difference through the year
The gap between CST and BST changes during the year because they switch to and from daylight saving on different dates.
| Period | Difference |
|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026 | BST 6 h ahead of CST |
| Oct 25, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026 | BST 5 h ahead of CST |
| Nov 1, 2026 – Mar 13, 2027 | BST 6 h ahead of CST |
| Mar 14, 2027 – Mar 27, 2027 | BST 5 h ahead of CST |
| Mar 28, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | BST 6 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 |
| BST | Oct 25, 2026 | UTC+1 → UTC+0 | Clocks go back 1 hour |
| BST | Mar 28, 2027 | UTC+0 → UTC+1 | Clocks go forward 1 hour |
| BST | Oct 31, 2027 | UTC+1 → UTC+0 | Clocks go back 1 hour |
CST to BST conversion table
| CST | BST (when 6 h ahead) | BST (when 5 h ahead) |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM |
| 1:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 2:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 3:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| 4:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| 5:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 7:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| 8:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| 10:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| 11:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 12:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| 1:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 4:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 5:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 12:00 AM (next day) | 11:00 PM |
| 7:00 PM | 1:00 AM (next day) | 12:00 AM (next day) |
| 8:00 PM | 2:00 AM (next day) | 1:00 AM (next day) |
| 9:00 PM | 3:00 AM (next day) | 2:00 AM (next day) |
| 10:00 PM | 4:00 AM (next day) | 3:00 AM (next day) |
| 11:00 PM | 5:00 AM (next day) | 4:00 AM (next day) |
Best time to meet
- 9 AM–5 PM overlap when BST is 6 h ahead9:00 AM–11:00 AM CST = 3:00 PM–5:00 PM BST (2 h)
- 9 AM–5 PM overlap when BST is 5 h ahead9:00 AM–12:00 PM CST = 2:00 PM–5:00 PM BST (3 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.
UK time is GMT (UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Ireland and Portugal follow the same switch dates.