Current Time in Chicago
United States
Chicago runs on Central Time, several hours behind the UK for almost the entire year.
Today in Chicago
UK time (—)
UK local time
UK local time
Sunrise to sunset
Next change to — on —
Chicago today, at a glance
The sun rises in Chicago at — and sets at — today, giving a day length of about —. The UK is currently on BST (British Summer Time), with the next clock change to GMT due on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Tonight's moon is a new moon, 1% illuminated. Sunrise, sunset and moon figures are calculated from Chicago's coordinates using standard astronomical calculations, and update automatically each day.
Time difference from the UK
Chicago is on Central Time and is 6 hours behind the UK for almost all of the year. The gap briefly narrows to 5 hours for about two weeks each spring and autumn, because the UK and the US change their clocks for daylight saving on different dates.
When it is 3pm in the UK, it is normally 9am in Chicago.
Best time to call
Late morning to early afternoon UK time (around 11am-2pm) usually lands in Chicago's early morning to late morning, a workable window for calls between the two.
Good to know
- The US and UK both use daylight saving time, but they switch their clocks on different Sundays, which is why the 6-hour gap briefly becomes 5 hours twice a year.
- Chicago is in the Central Time zone, the same zone used by Dallas, Houston and Minneapolis.
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between the UK and Chicago?
Chicago is normally 6 hours behind the UK. For about two weeks each spring and autumn, while the UK and US clocks change on different dates, the gap briefly narrows to 5 hours.
Is Chicago ahead of or behind the UK?
Chicago is behind the UK, typically by 6 hours.