Time Difference Between New York and Chicago
As of 31 August 2026, Chicago is 1 hour behind New York. This difference is fixed: neither zone shifts its clocks against the other, so it holds all year.
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New York, United States
18:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-4 · EDT · America/New_York
Chicago, United States
-1h17:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-5 · CDT · America/Chicago
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Monday, August 31, 2026 | EDTAmerica/New_York | UTC-4 | Active now |
| Chicago | Monday, August 31, 2026 | CDTAmerica/Chicago | UTC-5 | Active now |
Hour by hour: New York to Chicago
Every hour of today in New York and what it is in Chicago. Highlighted rows fall inside Chicago working hours (09:00–18:00).
| New York | Chicago |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 23:00prev day |
| 01:00 | 00:00 |
| 02:00 | 01:00 |
| 03:00 | 02:00 |
| 04:00 | 03:00 |
| 05:00 | 04:00 |
| 06:00 | 05:00 |
| 07:00 | 06:00 |
| 08:00 | 07:00 |
| 09:00 | 08:00 |
| 10:00 | 09:00 |
| 11:00 | 10:00 |
| New York | Chicago |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 11:00 |
| 13:00 | 12:00 |
| 14:00 | 13:00 |
| 15:00 | 14:00 |
| 16:00 | 15:00 |
| 17:00 | 16:00 |
| 18:00 | 17:00 |
| 19:00 | 18:00 |
| 20:00 | 19:00 |
| 21:00 | 20:00 |
| 22:00 | 21:00 |
| 23:00 | 22:00 |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
10:00–18:00 in New York (09:00–17:00 in Chicago)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 8 hours a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
09:00–21:00 in New York (08:00–20:00 in Chicago)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
New York puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-4 to UTC-5. After that date, Chicago is on the same time as New York — instead of 1 hour behind, as it is today.
Chicago puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-5 to UTC-6. The gap between New York and Chicago stays at 1 hour 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.
New York and Chicago: common questions
What is the time difference between New York and Chicago?
Chicago is 1 hour behind New York, and this does not change during the year because the difference between these two zones is fixed.
When it is 9:00 AM in New York, what time is it in Chicago?
It is 08:00 AM in Chicago, United States. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is Chicago ahead of or behind New York?
Chicago is behind New York by 1 hour at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in Chicago starts and ends later in New York terms.
Do New York and Chicago observe daylight saving time?
Both New York and Chicago change their clocks, but not on the same dates. That is why the gap is not fixed: across the year, Chicago ranges from 1 hour behind to 1 hour behind relative to New York.
What is the best time to call Chicago from New York?
Working hours overlap between 10:00 and 18:00 New York time, which is 09:00 to 17:00 in Chicago. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for New York, United States (UTC-4) and Chicago, United States (UTC-5) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.