How Central and Eastern time line up
Add one hour to the Central time to get Eastern time. The minutes never change, so 1:30 Central is 2:30 Eastern. Common conversions:
- 8:00 AM Central is 9:00 AM Eastern.
- 11:00 AM Central is 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern.
- 1:30 PM Central is 2:30 PM Eastern.
- 3:00 PM Central is 4:00 PM Eastern.
- 7:00 PM Central is 8:00 PM Eastern.
- 11:00 PM Central is 12:00 AM (midnight) Eastern, the next day.
Which states use Central Time
Central Time covers the middle of the country. That includes Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma and most of Texas and Kansas.
Several states are split. Western Tennessee and Kentucky, a few corners of Indiana, the Florida Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River and parts of the Dakotas and Nebraska are on Central Time, while the rest of those states use Eastern or Mountain time. Big Central cities include Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Nashville and Kansas City.
Reading TV listings like 8/7c
A listing of 8/7c means the show airs at 8:00 PM Eastern and 7:00 PM Central. It is the same broadcast at the same moment, shown in both local times.
CST, CDT, EST and EDT
CST and EST are the winter names. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November the zones use CDT and EDT. Right now the clocks show CDT and EDT. Both zones change on the same nights, so the gap is always one hour.
Questions and answers
What is 3 PM CST in EST?
3:00 PM Central Time is 4:00 PM Eastern Time.
What is 1:30 Central in Eastern time?
1:30 Central is 2:30 Eastern. Only the hour changes.
Is Central Time 1 hour behind Eastern?
Yes. Central Time is always 1 hour behind Eastern Time, in summer and in winter.
Is Chicago on Central or Eastern time?
Chicago is on Central Time. When it is noon in Chicago, it is 1:00 PM in New York.
What does 8/7c mean?
It means 8:00 PM Eastern and 7:00 PM Central, the same moment in two zones.