Time Difference Between Central Time and Pacific Time
As of 31 August 2026, Pacific Time is 2 hours behind Central Time. This difference is fixed: neither zone shifts its clocks against the other, so it holds all year.
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Central Time, United States
17:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-5 · CDT · America/Chicago
Pacific Time, United States
-2h15:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-7 · PDT · America/Los_Angeles
Pacific Time is 2 hours behind Central Time.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Time | Monday, August 31, 2026 | CDTAmerica/Chicago | UTC-5 | Active now |
| Pacific Time | Monday, August 31, 2026 | PDTAmerica/Los_Angeles | UTC-7 | Active now |
Central Time: Covers Chicago, Dallas, Houston and most of the middle of the country. Switches between CST (UTC-6) and CDT (UTC-5) with daylight saving.
Pacific Time: Covers the US West Coast, from Los Angeles to Seattle to San Francisco. Switches between PST (UTC-8) and PDT (UTC-7) with daylight saving.
Hour by hour: Central Time to Pacific Time
Every hour of today in Central Time and what it is in Pacific Time. Highlighted rows fall inside Pacific Time working hours (09:00–18:00).
| Central Time | Pacific Time |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 22:00prev day |
| 01:00 | 23:00prev day |
| 02:00 | 00:00 |
| 03:00 | 01:00 |
| 04:00 | 02:00 |
| 05:00 | 03:00 |
| 06:00 | 04:00 |
| 07:00 | 05:00 |
| 08:00 | 06:00 |
| 09:00 | 07:00 |
| 10:00 | 08:00 |
| 11:00 | 09:00 |
| Central Time | Pacific Time |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 10:00 |
| 13:00 | 11:00 |
| 14:00 | 12:00 |
| 15:00 | 13:00 |
| 16:00 | 14:00 |
| 17:00 | 15:00 |
| 18:00 | 16:00 |
| 19:00 | 17:00 |
| 20:00 | 18:00 |
| 21:00 | 19:00 |
| 22:00 | 20:00 |
| 23:00 | 21:00 |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
11:00–18:00 in Central Time (09:00–16:00 in Pacific Time)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 7 hours a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
10:00–21:00 in Central Time (08:00–19:00 in Pacific Time)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
Central Time puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-5 to UTC-6. After that date, Pacific Time is 1 hour behind Central Time — instead of 2 hours behind, as it is today.
Pacific Time puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-7 to UTC-8. The gap between Central Time and Pacific Time stays at 2 hours because both places change at the same time.
Planning something with more than two places?
Adding a third city usually kills the obvious answer. The Meeting Time Finder takes up to five cities at once and shows only the hours that work for everybody.
Central Time and Pacific Time: common questions
What is the time difference between Central Time and Pacific Time?
Pacific Time is 2 hours behind Central Time, and this does not change during the year because the difference between these two zones is fixed.
When it is 9:00 AM in Central Time, what time is it in Pacific Time?
It is 07:00 AM in Pacific Time, United States. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is Pacific Time ahead of or behind Central Time?
Pacific Time is behind Central Time by 2 hours at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in Pacific Time starts and ends later in Central Time terms.
Do Central Time and Pacific Time observe daylight saving time?
Both Central Time and Pacific Time change their clocks, but not on the same dates. That is why the gap is not fixed: across the year, Pacific Time ranges from 2 hours behind to 2 hours behind relative to Central Time.
What is the best time to call Pacific Time from Central Time?
Working hours overlap between 11:00 and 18:00 Central Time time, which is 09:00 to 16:00 in Pacific Time. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for Central Time, United States (UTC-5) and Pacific Time, United States (UTC-7) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.