Convert UTC to CST
UTC
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CST
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CST is 6 hours behind UTC in winter and 5 hours behind, as CDT, in summer. UTC is Coordinated Universal Time, the UTC+0 reference every other zone is measured from. CST is US Central Time, CST at UTC−6 in winter and CDT at UTC−5 in summer. Paste a Unix timestamp, an ISO 8601 string or a plain date such as June 1 2026 3:00 pm and the converter shows that moment in both zones, with UTC and Unix time alongside.
UTC to CST at a glance
| UTC | Winter (CST) | Summer (CDT) |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 18:00 -1d | 19:00 -1d |
| 06:00 | 00:00 | 01:00 |
| 09:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 |
| 12:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 |
| 15:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 |
| 18:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 |
| 21:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 |
In 2026, clocks in CST change on 8 March and 1 November. UTC does not change.
Common questions
- What is the time difference between UTC and CST?
- CST is 6 hours behind UTC in winter and 5 hours behind, as CDT, in summer. The table on this page lists common UTC hours with their CST equivalents, and the converter gives the exact gap for any date you enter.
- What time is it in CST right now?
- The CST panel at the top of the page shows the current local time there, next to UTC, so you can compare at a glance. The offset line under it reports the gap for this moment, so you do not have to work out which side of a clock change you are on.
- How do I convert a specific UTC time to CST?
- Type the UTC time into the box and the panel shows the same moment in CST. For example, 09:00 in UTC on 1 June 2026 is 04:00 the same day in CST. A time with no zone is read as UTC on this page; the selector under the box switches that to CST or to your own zone, and a Unix number or an ISO 8601 string with an offset is always read as written.
- Does the UTC to CST difference change with daylight saving time?
- Yes, twice. CST moves its clocks on 8 March and 1 November in 2026, while UTC stays at UTC+0 all year, so the gap changes by an hour on each of those dates. parsetime computes the offset for the exact instant you enter, so the days around a change come out right as well.