Current Time in CST
Central Standard Time
About CST Central Standard Time
The standard time for the Central Time Zone in North America, covering parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America. During summer, many areas switch to Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-05:00).
UTC Offset: -06:00
CST at a glance
| Right now | 11:47 on Tuesday |
|---|---|
| UTC offset | UTC-06:00 (6 hours behind UTC) |
| Full name | Central Standard Time |
| Countries | 9 |
| IANA zones | 33 |
What is CST?
CST is a time zone that is currently UTC-06:00 - that's 6 hours behind UTC. Its full name is Central Standard Time. Right now the local time on CST is 11:47. Today 9 countries (including Belize, Canada and Costa Rica) and 33 IANA database zones sit at this offset, which is why CST is a useful shorthand even though the exact local rules differ from place to place.
How to convert CST to UTC
For quick planning, use today's offset as a rule of thumb: 12:00 UTC = 06:00 local time, and 09:00 local time = 15:00 UTC. The live clock above is the safest reference when daylight saving or regional rules may apply.
Which countries use CST?
CST is used across Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, plus 3 more. Open a country to see all of its cities and their local time.
IANA time zones in CST
CST maps to the IANA database zones America/Bahia_Banderas, America/Belize, America/Chicago, America/Chihuahua, America/Costa_Rica and America/El_Salvador, among 33 in total. Each zone page shows its exact rules, including any daylight saving changes.
💡 Tip: Comparing times? CST is 6 hours behind UTC. Use the IANA links and country links on this page when you need the exact local rule for a real place, not just the offset.
CST - Frequently asked questions
What is CST?
CST is a time zone currently UTC-06:00 (6 hours behind UTC). Its full name is Central Standard Time.
What is the UTC offset of CST?
CST is UTC-06:00 right now - 6 hours behind UTC.
Which countries are on CST?
CST is used in Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, plus 3 more.
What time is it in CST now?
The current time on CST is 11:47 on Tuesday. The clock above updates every second.
How Alarm.now explains CST
Abbreviation, offset, and IANA zones
CST is shown as a time-zone group for Central Standard Time with offset -06:00. The page links the abbreviation to the IANA zones and countries that use it, so users and search engines can distinguish a short label from an exact time-zone rule set.
When to use a specific IANA page
Use this group page for an overview of the abbreviation and offset. Use a linked IANA time-zone page when you need exact daylight-saving rules for a calendar, app, or future-date comparison.