CDT to CST Converter
From Central Daylight Time to China Standard Time: cST is 13 hours ahead of CDT. Use the editable converter to translate any CDT time — including the date — into CST.
Daylight saving notes
In the United States and Canada, daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. That affects Central Daylight Time (CDT).
CDT to CST conversion chart
For example, a 9:00 AM CDT meeting takes place at 10:00 PM CST. Concretely, when Chicago (CDT) and Beijing (CST) set up a call, cST is 13 hours ahead of CDT.
| CDT time | CST time |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| 1:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
| 2:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| 3:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| 4:00 AM | 5:00 PM |
| 5:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
| 6:00 AM | 7:00 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 8:00 PM |
| 8:00 AM | 9:00 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 10:00 PM |
| 10:00 AM | 11:00 PM |
| 11:00 AM | 12:00 AM+1 day |
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 AM+1 day |
| 1:00 PM | 2:00 AM+1 day |
| 2:00 PM | 3:00 AM+1 day |
| 3:00 PM | 4:00 AM+1 day |
| 4:00 PM | 5:00 AM+1 day |
| 5:00 PM | 6:00 AM+1 day |
| 6:00 PM | 7:00 AM+1 day |
| 7:00 PM | 8:00 AM+1 day |
| 8:00 PM | 9:00 AM+1 day |
| 9:00 PM | 10:00 AM+1 day |
| 10:00 PM | 11:00 AM+1 day |
| 11:00 PM | 12:00 PM+1 day |
This chart uses the fixed CDT and CST offsets; the live converter above follows current daylight saving.
Convert CDT to CST Time Zone
A quick guide to CDT → CST: the time gap, the live clocks, scheduling tips, and how we keep it accurate.
How do I convert CDT to CST?
It takes three quick steps:
- Click the CDT field on the left and pick the time you want to convert.
- The matching CST time updates on the right automatically — there’s no button to press.
- Need a different day? Click the date field and the result follows, rolling over if it crosses midnight.
CDT vs CST: what's the time gap?
CST is 13 hours ahead of CDT. In everyday terms, once you know the time on one side you just add 13 hours to get the other — so a call between Chicago and Beijing is always 13 hours apart.
What's the current time in CST?
Right now the time in China Standard Time (CST) is Tuesday, June 30, 2026 · 1:53:56 AM. It ticks every second, so you’re always looking at the live CST clock.
And what time is it in CDT?
And in Central Daylight Time (CDT), it’s currently Monday, June 29, 2026 · 12:53:56 PM. Compare the two and the 13 hours gap is easy to see.
Planning a meeting across CDT and CST?
For example, a 9:00 AM CDT meeting takes place at 10:00 PM CST. The trick is to aim for a slot that lands inside normal working hours on both sides. Once you’ve found a time, hit Share on the converter to copy a link with the time built in — easy to send to a colleague. Juggling three or more zones? The meeting planner highlights the hours that overlap for everyone.
Does daylight saving time change the CDT–CST difference?
The labels CDT and CST are fixed offsets, so the result on this page is always exact. One side switches between standard and summer time while the other stays put, so the real-world gap can shift by an hour for part of the year. It's worth checking which label a region is actually using before you lock in a time.
How accurate is this CDT to CST conversion?
We don’t guess. CDT and CST times are worked out from the official IANA time zone database, the trusted standard that operating systems use worldwide. Because daylight-saving rules and regional offsets do change over time, we track those updates rather than relying on a fixed number — which is exactly where many converters slip up.
Convert CDT to other time zones
- UTC Coordinated Universal Time
- GMT Greenwich Mean Time
- EST Eastern Standard Time
- EDT Eastern Daylight Time
- CST Central Standard Time
- MST Mountain Standard Time
- MDT Mountain Daylight Time
- PST Pacific Standard Time
- PDT Pacific Daylight Time
- AKST Alaska Standard Time
- AKDT Alaska Daylight Time
- HST Hawaii Standard Time
- AST Atlantic Standard Time
- ADT Atlantic Daylight Time
- NST Newfoundland Standard Time
- NDT Newfoundland Daylight Time
- BRT Brasília Time
- ART Argentina Time
- WET Western European Time
- WEST Western European Summer Time
- CET Central European Time
- CEST Central European Summer Time
- EET Eastern European Time
- EEST Eastern European Summer Time
- BST British Summer Time
- IST Irish Standard Time
- MSK Moscow Standard Time
- TRT Turkey Time
- WAT West Africa Time
- CAT Central Africa Time
- EAT East Africa Time
- SAST South Africa Standard Time
- GST Gulf Standard Time
- IST Israel Standard Time
- IDT Israel Daylight Time
- IST India Standard Time
- PKT Pakistan Standard Time
- BDT Bangladesh Standard Time
- ICT Indochina Time
- WIB Western Indonesian Time
- WITA Central Indonesian Time
- WIT Eastern Indonesian Time
- CST China Standard Time
- HKT Hong Kong Time
- SGT Singapore Time
- PHT Philippine Time
- JST Japan Standard Time
- KST Korea Standard Time
- AWST Australian Western Standard Time
- ACST Australian Central Standard Time
- ACDT Australian Central Daylight Time
- AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time
- AEDT Australian Eastern Daylight Time
- NZST New Zealand Standard Time
- NZDT New Zealand Daylight Time
Convert to CST from other time zones
- UTC Coordinated Universal Time
- GMT Greenwich Mean Time
- EST Eastern Standard Time
- EDT Eastern Daylight Time
- CST Central Standard Time
- CDT Central Daylight Time
- MST Mountain Standard Time
- MDT Mountain Daylight Time
- PST Pacific Standard Time
- PDT Pacific Daylight Time
- AKST Alaska Standard Time
- AKDT Alaska Daylight Time
- HST Hawaii Standard Time
- AST Atlantic Standard Time
- ADT Atlantic Daylight Time
- NST Newfoundland Standard Time
- NDT Newfoundland Daylight Time
- BRT Brasília Time
- ART Argentina Time
- WET Western European Time
- WEST Western European Summer Time
- CET Central European Time
- CEST Central European Summer Time
- EET Eastern European Time
- EEST Eastern European Summer Time
- BST British Summer Time
- IST Irish Standard Time
- MSK Moscow Standard Time
- TRT Turkey Time
- WAT West Africa Time
- CAT Central Africa Time
- EAT East Africa Time
- SAST South Africa Standard Time
- GST Gulf Standard Time
- IST Israel Standard Time
- IDT Israel Daylight Time
- IST India Standard Time
- PKT Pakistan Standard Time
- BDT Bangladesh Standard Time
- ICT Indochina Time
- WIB Western Indonesian Time
- WITA Central Indonesian Time
- WIT Eastern Indonesian Time
- HKT Hong Kong Time
- SGT Singapore Time
- PHT Philippine Time
- JST Japan Standard Time
- KST Korea Standard Time
- AWST Australian Western Standard Time
- ACST Australian Central Standard Time
- ACDT Australian Central Daylight Time
- AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time
- AEDT Australian Eastern Daylight Time
- NZST New Zealand Standard Time
- NZDT New Zealand Daylight Time
Frequently asked questions
How many hours ahead of CDT is CST?
CST is 13 hours ahead of CDT — a fixed 13 hours difference, since both are fixed-offset labels.
What time is it in CST when it's 12:00 PM CDT?
When it's 12:00 PM (noon) CDT, it's 1:00 AM CST the next day.
Do CDT or CST use daylight saving time?
Central Daylight Time (CDT) observes daylight saving, alternating with CST; China Standard Time (CST) is a fixed offset with no daylight saving.
Why might the real-world CDT–CST difference change during the year?
The labels CDT and CST are fixed offsets, so this converter is always exact. But Central Daylight Time's region switches between standard and summer time, so for part of the year you may actually want CST to CST. Always check which label a region is currently using before you schedule.