Time in Chicago, Illinois right now
Chicago, Illinois runs on Central Time, UTC-6 in winter and UTC-5 during daylight saving. The live clock above updates every minute for the exact coordinates of Chicago.
- State
- Illinois
- Time zone
- Central Time
- Offset from UTC now
- Daylight saving time
- Yes, 8 Mar to 1 Nov
- Population
- 2,664,452
- Coordinates
- 41.8500° N, 87.6500° W
Sunrise and sunset times in Chicago today.
Worked out for 41.8500° N, 87.6500° W from the position of the sun, and updated every minute. On the longest day of 2026 the sun is up in Chicago for 15h 13m, and on the shortest day for 9h 8m.
- Sunrise
- Sunset
- Day length
- Solar noon
- Moon phase
- Moon lit
Time difference between Chicago and other cities.
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York all year, so plan calls to the East Coast with that gap in mind.
| City | Time zone | Local time | From Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Eastern Time | --:-- | |
| Denver | Mountain Time | --:-- | |
| Phoenix | Mountain Time without daylight saving | --:-- | |
| Los Angeles | Pacific Time | --:-- | |
| Honolulu | Hawaii-Aleutian Time | --:-- | |
| London | United Kingdom | --:-- | |
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | --:-- | |
| Tokyo | Japan | --:-- | |
| Sydney | Australia | --:-- |
Chicago time zone and daylight saving time.
Chicago changes clocks on Sunday, 8 March 2026 and Sunday, 1 November 2026, both at 2:00 local time, moving from UTC-6 to UTC-5 and back. Clock change dates come from the IANA time zone database.
- 8 March 2026 Clocks go forward 1 hour Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 local time
- 1 November 2026 Clocks go back 1 hour Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 local time
- 14 March 2027 Clocks go forward 1 hour Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 local time
- 7 November 2027 Clocks go back 1 hour Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 local time
Sunrise and sunset above move with the clock change, so evenings are an hour lighter from Sunday, 8 March 2026.
Quick answers about time in Chicago.
Direct answers on Chicago time, the Central Time zone, UTC offsets, the 2026 clock change dates and the closest towns.
01
What time is it in Chicago right now?
Chicago is on Central Time, UTC-6 in winter and UTC-5 during daylight saving time. The live clock at the top of this page updates every minute.
02
What time zone is Chicago in?
Chicago uses Central Time (CT), at UTC-6 in winter and UTC-5 in daylight saving time.
03
Does Chicago observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Clocks in Chicago go forward on Sunday, 8 March 2026 and back on Sunday, 1 November 2026, both at 2:00 local time.
04
What time does the sun rise in Chicago?
On the longest day of 2026 the sun rises at 05:15 and sets at 20:29 in Chicago. On the shortest day it rises at 07:14 and sets at 16:22.
05
How long is the longest day in Chicago?
The sun is up for 15h 13m on the June solstice and for 9h 8m on the December solstice.
06
What is the time difference between Chicago and New York?
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York all year.
07
What is the time difference between Chicago and London?
Chicago is 6 hours behind London for most of the year. The gap changes for a few weeks each spring and autumn, because the United States and the United Kingdom change their clocks on different dates.
08
How many people live in Chicago?
Chicago has about 2,664,452 people, based on the 2026 GeoNames population update.
09
Where is Chicago, Illinois?
Chicago sits at 41.8500° N, 87.6500° W in Illinois, in the UTC-6 zone.
10
Which places are closest to Chicago?
The closest places listed are Cicero, 5 miles away, Stickney, 7 miles away and Oak Park, 7 miles away. Each one shows its own local time on this page, all in the UTC-6 zone as Chicago.