What Time is it Now in Chicago?
Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, is located in the Midwest on the south shores of Lake Michigan. With a population of nearly 3 million people, it is the cultural, economic and transportation hub of the region. But what time is it now in Chicago?
Current Local Time in Chicago
The current local time in Chicago is Central Standard Time (CST). This is the same time as the Central Time Zone, which also includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The current local time in Chicago is 5:16 PM on Sunday, June 28th 2020.
Chicago Daylight Savings Time (DST)
Chicago observes Daylight Savings Time (DST), which moves the clock ahead one hour during the summer months. From March 8th to November 1st, Chicago is on Central Daylight Time (CDT), which is six hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The time zone is also referred to as Central Time (CT).
History of Chicago Time Zones
The city of Chicago has had a long and storied relationship with time zones. In 1883, the city adopted the time zone of the railroad companies, which was four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. In 1905, the city changed its time zone to Central Standard Time (CST). This was the time zone used by most of the Midwest and Great Plains states.
In 1918, the US Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which created uniform time zones across the country. This meant that Chicago and the rest of the Central Time Zone would be five hours behind UTC. In 1945, the US Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized Daylight Savings Time (DST). This meant that Chicago and the rest of the Central Time Zone would be six hours behind UTC during the summer months.
How to Convert Time Zones in Chicago
If you need to convert a time in Chicago to another time zone, you can use an online time zone converter. This will allow you to quickly and accurately convert any time in Chicago to the time in another city or country. It is important to note that many time zones are offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by half an hour, so you may need to adjust the time accordingly.
Daylight Savings Time in Chicago
Daylight Savings Time (DST) is observed in Chicago from March 8th to November 1st. During DST, the clocks are moved ahead one hour, making the local time in Chicago six hours behind UTC. This means that when it is noon in Chicago, it is 6:00 PM UTC.
Time Zone Abbreviation
The time zone abbreviation for Chicago is CST, which stands for Central Standard Time. During Daylight Savings Time, the abbreviation changes to CDT, which stands for Central Daylight Time.