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