The term Central Time (CT) is often used to denote the local time in areas observing either Central Standard Time (CST) or Central Daylight Time (CDT).
In other words, in locations observing Daylight Saving Time during part of the year, Central Time is not static but switches between CST and CDT.
Central Time UTC Offset
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Central Standard Time is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time.
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Central Daylight Time is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time.
What Is Central Time?
Central Time (CT) is the second easternmost time zone in the United States and is also used in Canada.
About a third of the population in the USA live in the CT time zone. It spans from northern Canada and south to Mexico near the equator.
In North America, Central Time shares a border with Eastern Time (ET) in the east and with Mountain Time (MT) in the west.
What Does CT Time Zone Mean?
Unlike other time zone denominations, which have a fixed time, Central Time refers to a geographical area where the time changes twice yearly as Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins and ends. Central Standard Time is UTC-6, while Central Daylight Time is UTC-5.
Most North American time zones also have generic terms, including Pacific Time (PT), Mountain Time (MT), Eastern Time (ET), and Atlantic Time (AT).
Converting Central Time to Other US Time Zones
- Central Time (CT) is 1 hour behind Eastern Time (ET).
To convert CT to ET, you have to add one hour. - Central Time (CT) is 1 hour ahead of Mountain Time (MT).
To convert CT to MT, you have to subtract one hour. - Central Time (CT) is 2 hours ahead of Pacific Time (PT).
To convert CT to PT, you have to subtract two hours.
Where and When is CT Observed?
North America
US states using CST in the winter and CDT in the summer
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Florida - North-West partsBay, Calhoun, Escambia, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties and norther Gulf county
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Indiana - these few north-western counties near Chicago (Lake, Porter, La Porte, Newton, Jasper, Starke) and these south-western counties in Indiana near EvansvilleGibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Perry, Spencer
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Kentucky - Western partAdair, Allen, Ballard, Barren, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Green, Hansock, Hart, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Russell, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren and Webster counties
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Michigan - A few western countiesDickinson, Gogebic, Iron, and Menominee
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North Dakota - North and Eastern partscounties of Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, Lamoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams and northern parts of McKenzie and Dunn, westernmost part of Morton and Fort Yates in Sioux
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South Dakota - Eastern partscounties of Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Gregory, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Potter, Roberts, Spink, Sanborn, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Yankton, Walworth and eastern parts of Stanley
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Tennessee - Western partcounties of Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, McNairy, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trusdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne Weakley, White, Willamson, Wilson
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Texas - All, but a few counties in westEl Paso and Hudspeth and part of Culberson
Canadian provinces using CST all year round
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Ontario - a few communitiesAtikokan, New Osnaburgh, Pickle Lake