CST can mean 3 different things depending on where you are: Central Standard Time (UTC-6); China Standard Time (UTC+8); Cuba Standard Time (UTC-5). Each is explained below.
CST stands for Central Standard Time and is UTC-6, which is 6 hours behind UTC.
Some of these places also switch to CDT (UTC-5) while daylight saving time is in effect. Others keep CST all year.
Cities that use CST: Chicago, Houston, Mexico City, Dallas, Austin, Calgary, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Managua, San Jose, Costa Rica, Nashville, Memphis and 28 more.
| When it is… | 9:00 AM CST | 12:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM CST |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | 3:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| PST (Pacific) | 7:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| MST (Mountain) | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| EST (Eastern) | 10:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| CET (Central Europe) | 4:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 12:00 AM (+1 day) |
| EET (Eastern Europe) | 5:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 1:00 AM (+1 day) |
| IST (India) | 8:30 PM | 11:30 PM | 4:30 AM (+1 day) |
| JST (Japan) | 12:00 AM (+1 day) | 3:00 AM (+1 day) | 8:00 AM (+1 day) |
| AEST (Sydney) | 1:00 AM (+1 day) | 4:00 AM (+1 day) | 9:00 AM (+1 day) |
CST stands for China Standard Time and is UTC+8, which is 8 hours ahead of UTC.
The places that use CST do not change their clocks for daylight saving time, so the offset stays UTC+8 all year.
Cities that use CST: Beijing, Macau, Shanghai, Taipei, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Kaohsiung, Tianjin, Nanjing, Wuhan, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Qingdao and 19 more.
| When it is… | 9:00 AM CST | 12:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM CST |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | 1:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| PST (Pacific) | 5:00 PM (-1 day) | 8:00 PM (-1 day) | 1:00 AM |
| MST (Mountain) | 6:00 PM (-1 day) | 9:00 PM (-1 day) | 2:00 AM |
| CST (Central US) | 7:00 PM (-1 day) | 10:00 PM (-1 day) | 3:00 AM |
| EST (Eastern) | 8:00 PM (-1 day) | 11:00 PM (-1 day) | 4:00 AM |
| CET (Central Europe) | 2:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| EET (Eastern Europe) | 3:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| IST (India) | 6:30 AM | 9:30 AM | 2:30 PM |
| JST (Japan) | 10:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| AEST (Sydney) | 11:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
CST stands for Cuba Standard Time and is UTC-5, which is 5 hours behind UTC.
The same places switch to CDT (UTC-4) while daylight saving time is in effect.
Cities that use CST: Havana, Varadero.
| When it is… | 9:00 AM CST | 12:00 PM CST | 5:00 PM CST |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | 2:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| PST (Pacific) | 6:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
| MST (Mountain) | 7:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| CST (Central US) | 8:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| CET (Central Europe) | 3:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| EET (Eastern Europe) | 4:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 12:00 AM (+1 day) |
| IST (India) | 7:30 PM | 10:30 PM | 3:30 AM (+1 day) |
| JST (Japan) | 11:00 PM | 2:00 AM (+1 day) | 7:00 AM (+1 day) |
| AEST (Sydney) | 12:00 AM (+1 day) | 3:00 AM (+1 day) | 8:00 AM (+1 day) |
CST can stand for Central Standard Time; China Standard Time; Cuba Standard Time.
Central Standard Time is UTC-6. China Standard Time is UTC+8. Cuba Standard Time is UTC-5.
CST is UTC-6 and CDT is UTC-5, a difference of 1 hour. Places that use both switch between them when daylight saving time starts and ends. The live line above shows which one applies right now.
It depends on context. Look at the place or the schedule the abbreviation comes from, or ask for the UTC offset to be written out, such as UTC+8 instead of CST.