The short answer
Central Standard Time is 7 hours behind Central European Time.
Central Standard Time☾
6:14:01pm
CDT · UTC-05:00 · Tue, Jun 23
Central European Time☾
1:14:01am
CEST · UTC+02:00 · Wed, Jun 24
Read across to convert
Central Standard Time
CDT · UTC-05:00
Central European Time
CEST · UTC+02:00
Click any row to pin that hour across both zones.
12amTue
7am
1am
8am
2am
9am
WORK3am
10am
WORK4am
11am
WORK5am
12pm
WORK6am
1pm
WORK7am
2pm
WORK8am
3pm
WORK9am
WORK4pm
WORK10am
WORK5pm
11am
WORK6pm
12pm
WORK7pm
1pm
WORK8pm
2pm
WORK9pm
3pm
WORK10pm
4pm
WORK11pm
5pm
12amWed ·+1d
NOW
6pm
1amWed ·+1d
7pm
2amWed ·+1d
8pm
3amWed ·+1d
9pm
4amWed ·+1d
10pm
5amWed ·+1d
11pm
6amWed ·+1d
daylightnightworking hoursoverlap
Best time to meet=
Best for a call
Central Standard Time
9am–10am
Central European Time
4pm–5pm
Popular conversions
Quick reference.
9amCentral Standard Time=4pmCentral European Time
12pmCentral Standard Time=7pmCentral European Time
3pmCentral Standard Time=10pmCentral European Time
5pmCentral Standard Time=12amCentral European Time · next day
9pmCentral Standard Time=4amCentral European Time · next day
In context
What each side covers.
Central Standard Time
6:14pmCDT · UTC-05:00
Cities on this clock
Central European Time
1:14amCEST · UTC+02:00
Did you mean…? “CDT” is shared by several places. This page shows Central Standard Time (US & Canada) — or switch to China Standard Time · Cuba Standard Time.
Related converters
Other popular pairs.
Pacific Time
4:14pm
India Standard Time
4:44am
Pacific Time to India12 hours 30 minutes behind
Eastern Standard Time
7:14pm
Central European Time
1:14am
Eastern Time to Central Europe6 hours behind
India Standard Time
4:44am
Eastern Standard Time
7:14pm
India to Eastern Time9 hours 30 minutes ahead
Greenwich Mean Time
12:14am
India Standard Time
4:44am
London to India4 hours 30 minutes behind
Pacific Standard Time
4:14pm
Eastern Standard Time
7:14pm
Pacific to Eastern Time3 hours behind
Central European Time
1:14am
India Standard Time
4:44am
Central Europe to India3 hours 30 minutes behind
Frequently asked
Quick answers about converting between Central Standard Time and Central European Time. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What is the time difference between Central Standard Time and Central European Time?
- Central Standard Time is 7 hours behind Central European Time right now. We always show the live, daylight-saving-correct difference, so this figure already accounts for whichever side is observing summer time today.
- When it's 9am in Central Standard Time, what time is it in Central European Time?
- 9am in Central Standard Time is 4pm in Central European Time. Use the hour-by-hour table above to read any other time across — find the row and read the matching cell in the other column.
- What's the best time for a call between Central Standard Time and Central European Time?
- 9am–10am in Central Standard Time lines up with 4pm–5pm in Central European Time — both sides are inside a 9-to-5 working day.
- Does this account for daylight saving time?
- Yes. We track every clock change in both places, so the abbreviations you see — CDT and CEST — are the ones actually in effect right now, not a fixed all-year value. When either side changes its clocks, this page updates automatically.
- Why is the date sometimes different on each side?
- When two places are far enough apart, the same moment can fall on different calendar days. That is why some conversions are marked "previous day" or "next day" — it is the same instant in time, read off two clocks that crossed midnight at different points.