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US Time Zones Compared

See Central Time next to Eastern, Mountain and Pacific — the current time in every mainland US zone at a glance.

The mainland United States spans four main time zones. This board shows the current time in each — Central, Eastern, Mountain and Pacific — side by side, so you can see exactly how Central Time lines up with the rest. Eastern is one hour ahead of Central; Mountain is one behind; Pacific is two behind.

Guides about US Time Zones

CST vs other zones Central vs Eastern Time: The One-Hour Difference Explained Central vs Eastern Time explained: why Eastern is always an hour ahead, the cities in each zone, what 8/7c means, and how to convert cleanly in both directions. 6 min read Where Central Time is used Which States Are in Central Time? The Full Breakdown A full breakdown of which US states are in Central Time: the states entirely inside the zone, the ones split with neighbors, and the major cities on CST. 6 min read

More CST pages

Central Time Now The exact current Central Time right now — automatically showing CST in winter and CDT in summer, live and accurate. CST Converter Convert a Central Time to any other time zone — or another zone into CST/CDT — in seconds.

Frequently asked questions

How many time zones does the mainland US have?
Four: Eastern (UTC−5/−4), Central (UTC−6/−5), Mountain (UTC−7/−6) and Pacific (UTC−8/−7), each shifting by an hour during daylight saving.
How far ahead is Eastern of Central?
Eastern is one hour ahead of Central. When it's 2:00 PM CST it's 3:00 PM EST.