The short answer
3pm in Central Time is 2pm in Mountain Time.
Central Time is 1 hour ahead of Mountain Time. Both sides are inside the standard 9-to-5 working day, so this is a sociable time for a call in both places.
Central Time☀
3pm
Mountain Time☀
2pm
Right now
7:16amCDT · UTC-05:00 · Mon, Jun 22
6:16amMDT · UTC-06:00 · Mon, Jun 22
Read across to convert
Central Time
CDT · UTC-05:00
Mountain Time
MDT · UTC-06:00
Pinned3pmCentral Time=2pmMountain Time
12amMon
11pmSun ·−1d
1am
12amMon
2am
1am
3am
2am
4am
3am
5am
4am
6am
5am
NOW
7am
6am
8am
7am
9am
WORK8am
10am
WORK9am
WORK11am
WORK10am
WORK12pm
WORK11am
WORK1pm
WORK12pm
WORK2pm
WORK1pm
WORKPINNED
3pm
WORK2pm
WORK4pm
WORK3pm
WORK5pm
4pm
WORK6pm
5pm
7pm
6pm
8pm
7pm
9pm
8pm
10pm
9pm
11pm
10pm
daylightnightworking hoursoverlap
Best time to meet=
Best for a call
Central Time
10am–5pm
Mountain Time
9am–4pm
Popular conversions
Quick reference.
9amCentral Time=8amMountain Time
12pmCentral Time=11amMountain Time
3pmCentral Time=2pmMountain Time
5pmCentral Time=4pmMountain Time
9pmCentral Time=8pmMountain Time
In context
What each side covers.
Central Time
7:16amCDT · UTC-05:00
Cities on this clock
Mountain Time
6:16amMDT · UTC-06:00
Cities on this clock
Did you mean…? “CDT” is shared by several places. This page shows Central Time (US & Canada) — or switch to China Time.
Related converters
Other popular pairs.
Pacific Time
5:16am
India Standard Time
5:46pm
Pacific Time to India12 hours 30 minutes behind
Eastern Standard Time
8:16am
Central European Time
2:16pm
Eastern Time to Central Europe6 hours behind
India Standard Time
5:46pm
Eastern Standard Time
8:16am
India to Eastern Time9 hours 30 minutes ahead
Greenwich Mean Time
1:16pm
India Standard Time
5:46pm
London to India4 hours 30 minutes behind
Pacific Standard Time
5:16am
Eastern Standard Time
8:16am
Pacific to Eastern Time3 hours behind
Central European Time
2:16pm
India Standard Time
5:46pm
Central Europe to India3 hours 30 minutes behind
Frequently asked
Quick answers about converting between Central Time and Mountain Time. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What is the time difference between Central Time and Mountain Time?
- Central Time is 1 hour ahead of Mountain 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 3pm in Central Time, what time is it in Mountain Time?
- 3pm in Central Time is 2pm in Mountain Time. Both sides are inside the standard 9-to-5 working day, so this is a sociable time for a call in both places. Use the hour-by-hour table above to read any other time across.
- What's the best time for a call between Central Time and Mountain Time?
- 10am–5pm in Central Time lines up with 9am–4pm in Mountain 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 MDT — 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.