What is the time difference between Chicago and London?

London is 6 hours ahead of Chicago right now. During the year the gap varies between 5 hours and 6 hours, because the two cities change their clocks on different dates.

When is the next public holiday in Chicago?

Thanksgiving Day, on Thursday 26 November 2026.

When do working hours in Chicago overlap with New York and London?

New York's 09:00–17:00 overlaps Chicago's for 7 hours today (09:00–16:00 Chicago time); London's 09:00–17:00 overlaps Chicago's for 2 hours today (09:00–11:00 Chicago time).

Current Time in Chicago, United States — CST

UTC-06:00Standard timeAmerica/Chicago

Chicago, United States

11:39:19 PM

Saturday, November 14, 2026

Quick answer

The current time in Chicago, United States is 11:39 PM on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Chicago is on standard time, CST (UTC-06:00); clocks go forward on 14 March 2027.

Pronunciation

Chicago

Time facts about Chicago

On 11 October 1883 the railways' General Time Convention, meeting at Chicago's Grand Pacific Hotel, adopted the standard time zones that took effect on 18 November 1883.Source: chipublib.org
In 1869 the Chicago Astronomical Society contracted to keep city time; by 1880 a wire carried signals from Dearborn Observatory to City Hall, then to police and fire stations.Source: IANA tz database
Chicago moved to Eastern Standard Time on 1 March 1936 and returned to Central time on 15 November 1936.Source: IANA tz database
Chicago kept local mean time, 5 h 50 min 36 s behind Greenwich, until 18 November 1883.Source: IANA tz database

Time zone and daylight saving time in Chicago

Time zone (IANA): America/Chicago
Current offset: CST (UTC-06:00)
Daylight saving: Standard time
Offsets in the next 12 months: UTC-06:00 and UTC-05:00

Next clock change: On Sunday 14 March 2027 at 02:00 local time, clocks go forward 1 hour to 03:00, from CST (UTC-06:00) to CDT (UTC-05:00).

Sun & twilight

Today

Sunrise

06:38 AM

Sunset

04:30 PM

Day length

9h 52m

Solar noon (sun highest): 11:34 AM

Daylight on the solstices

December solstice (December 21, 2026): 9h 8m
June solstice (June 21, 2027): 15h 13m

Time difference and working-hours overlap

Today's values; working day 09:00–17:00 in both places.

City	Local time	Difference	Their 09:00–17:00 in Chicago	Overlap with Chicago
Los Angeles	21:39	−2 h	11:00–19:00	6 h (11:00–17:00)
Mexico City	23:39	0 h	09:00–17:00	8 h (09:00–17:00)
New York	00:39	+1 h	08:00–16:00	7 h (09:00–16:00)
Toronto	00:39	+1 h	08:00–16:00	7 h (09:00–16:00)
London	05:39	+6 h	03:00–11:00	2 h (09:00–11:00)
Paris	06:39	+7 h	02:00–10:00	1 h (09:00–10:00)

Upcoming public holidays in Chicago

In 12 days
Thanksgiving Day
Thu, Nov 26, 2026
Public
In 41 days
Christmas Day
Fri, Dec 25, 2026
Public
In 48 days
New Year's Day
Fri, Jan 1, 2027
Public

Airports near Chicago

Chicago Midway International Airport MDW11 km straight-line
Chicago O'Hare International Airport ORD25 km straight-line
General Mitchell International Airport MKE124 km straight-line

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chicago observe daylight saving time?: Yes. On Sunday 14 March 2027 at 02:00 local time, clocks go forward 1 hour to 03:00, from CST (UTC-06:00) to CDT (UTC-05:00).
What is the time difference between Chicago and London?: London is 6 hours ahead of Chicago right now. During the year the gap varies between 5 hours and 6 hours, because the two cities change their clocks on different dates.
When is the next public holiday in Chicago?: Thanksgiving Day, on Thursday 26 November 2026.
When do working hours in Chicago overlap with New York and London?: New York's 09:00–17:00 overlaps Chicago's for 7 hours today (09:00–16:00 Chicago time); London's 09:00–17:00 overlaps Chicago's for 2 hours today (09:00–11:00 Chicago time).

Time in other cities, compared with Chicago

Tools

Sources

Time zone rules: IANA tz database, applied when the page is generated; the clock runs in your browser. Sun times: NOAA solar equations at 41.85°N, 87.65°W (GeoNames). Holidays: Nager.Date. Airports: OurAirports. About our sources.