Time Difference Between Pacific Time and Central Time
As of 31 August 2026, Central Time is 2 hours ahead of Pacific Time. This difference is fixed: neither zone shifts its clocks against the other, so it holds all year.
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Pacific Time, United States
15:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-7 · PDT · America/Los_Angeles
Central Time, United States
+2h17:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-5 · CDT · America/Chicago
Central Time is 2 hours ahead of Pacific Time.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Time | Monday, August 31, 2026 | PDTAmerica/Los_Angeles | UTC-7 | Active now |
| Central Time | Monday, August 31, 2026 | CDTAmerica/Chicago | UTC-5 | Active now |
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.
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.
Hour by hour: Pacific Time to Central Time
Every hour of today in Pacific Time and what it is in Central Time. Highlighted rows fall inside Central Time working hours (09:00–18:00).
| Pacific Time | Central Time |
|---|---|
| 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 | 12:00 |
| 11:00 | 13:00 |
| Pacific Time | Central Time |
|---|---|
| 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 | 00:00next day |
| 23:00 | 01:00next day |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
09:00–16:00 in Pacific Time (11:00–18:00 in Central 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
08:00–19:00 in Pacific Time (10:00–21:00 in Central 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, Central Time is 1 hour ahead of Pacific Time — instead of 2 hours ahead, 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 Pacific Time and Central 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.
Pacific Time and Central Time: common questions
What is the time difference between Pacific Time and Central Time?
Central Time is 2 hours ahead of Pacific 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 Pacific Time, what time is it in Central Time?
It is 11:00 AM in Central Time, United States. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is Central Time ahead of or behind Pacific Time?
Central Time is ahead of Pacific Time by 2 hours at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in Central Time starts and ends earlier in Pacific Time terms.
Do Pacific Time and Central Time observe daylight saving time?
Both Pacific Time and Central Time change their clocks, but not on the same dates. That is why the gap is not fixed: across the year, Central Time ranges from 2 hours ahead to 2 hours ahead relative to Pacific Time.
What is the best time to call Central Time from Pacific Time?
Working hours overlap between 09:00 and 16:00 Pacific Time time, which is 11:00 to 18:00 in Central Time. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for Pacific Time, United States (UTC-7) and Central Time, United States (UTC-5) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.