CST to PST Time Zone Converter
This converts US Central Time (CST, or CDT in summer — locals say CT) into US Pacific Time (PST, or PDT in summer — locals say PT). Pacific is always exactly 2 hours behind Central. Both zones share the same daylight-saving calendar, so that gap never changes, and the converter keeps it right on any date.
Enter a date and time to convert.
Daylight saving is applied automatically for the date you pick. Labels like PST/EST name the zone (Pacific/Eastern); the real abbreviation shifts to PDT/EDT during daylight saving, and gmt here means London (GMT in winter, BST in summer) while utc stays fixed.
The time difference
US Pacific Time is 2 hours behind US Central Time, every day of the year. Both zones follow the same US daylight-saving calendar — springing forward and falling back on the same dates — so the two-hour gap never drifts. To go from a Central clock to Pacific, subtract two hours.
A worked example
Take 9:00 AM Central Time.
- Winter (Jan 15, 2026): 9:00 AM CST becomes 7:00 AM PST the same day.
- Summer (Jul 15, 2026): 9:00 AM CDT becomes 7:00 AM PDT the same day.
The result is the same all year — a flat two-hour subtraction, whatever the season.
Daylight saving & the abbreviation caveat
The slug says "CST" and the target "PST," both standard-time names, but from spring to fall the zones are really on CDT and PDT (daylight time). People in Dallas say "CT" and people in Los Angeles say "PT" and leave it at that. Both switch together on March 8 and November 1, 2026, so the gap holds steady through every changeover. The converter tracks this automatically, so the result is always right for your date.
When you'll use it
This is the coast-to-coast staple: scheduling a call between a Central-time office and a San Francisco or Los Angeles team, catching a West Coast game or product launch, timing a flight, or working with Pacific-time clients.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours behind is Pacific Time than Central Time?
Exactly 2 hours, all year. Pacific Time is always two hours behind Central Time because both zones spring forward and fall back on the same dates.
Does the CST-to-PST gap change with the seasons?
No. Both zones switch daylight saving together, so the 2-hour difference holds every day of the year, winter and summer alike.
If it's 9:00 AM in Chicago, what time is it in Los Angeles?
7:00 AM. Subtract two hours from any Central time to get Pacific — so 9:00 AM in Chicago is 7:00 AM in Los Angeles.