Live · calculated from the IANA time-zone database

Time difference between Chicago and Madrid

Short answer

Madrid is 6 hours ahead of Chicago. Right now it is 09:35 in Chicago (CDT, UTC−5) and 15:35 in Madrid (GMT+1, UTC+1).

Right now

Chicago · United States

09:35

Friday, October 30, 2026

Central Daylight Time · CDT · UTC−5

Madrid · Spain

15:35

Friday, October 30, 2026

Central European Standard Time · GMT+1 · UTC+1

Times at the moment this page was generated. Reload for a fresh reading.

Does the difference between Chicago and Madrid change during the year?

Yes. For 337 days of 2026 the difference is 7 hours, but it moves whenever Chicago or Madrid enters or leaves daylight saving time. Here is the full 2026 calendar (dates in UTC):

From	Until	Madrid vs Chicago
January 1	March 8	+7 h
March 8	March 29	+6 h
March 29	October 25	+7 h
October 25	November 1	+6 h
November 1	December 31	+7 h

The highlighted row is the current period. Every date comes from each zone's official rules, not from a hand-typed table.

Best time to call Madrid from Chicago (and vice versa)

The window in which both cities are inside their 9:00–17:00 working day runs from 09:00 to 11:00 in Chicago, which is 15:00 to 17:00 in Madrid: 2 hours of overlap per day. For a call that disturbs nobody, aim for the middle of that window.

Outside that window, the practical rule: mornings in Madrid are afternoons in Chicago. Avoid any hour that falls before 8:00 or after 21:00 in either city.

Chicago to Madrid conversion table

Each Chicago hour and its equivalent in Madrid today. Rows shaded green are working hours (9:00–17:00) in both cities at once.

Chicago time · Fri, Oct 30	Madrid time
00:00	06:00
01:00	07:00
02:00	08:00
03:00	09:00
04:00	10:00
05:00	11:00
06:00	12:00
07:00	13:00
08:00	14:00
09:00	15:00
10:00	16:00
11:00	17:00
12:00	18:00
13:00	19:00
14:00	20:00
15:00	21:00
16:00	22:00
17:00	23:00
18:00	00:00next day
19:00	01:00next day
20:00	02:00next day
21:00	03:00next day
22:00	04:00next day
23:00	05:00next day

Looking for it the other way round? This page covers both directions: Madrid to Chicago is the same difference with the sign flipped.

The two time zones

Chicago — America/Chicago

Chicago follows Central Time (CT): UTC−6 in winter (CST) and UTC−5 in summer (CDT), shared with Dallas, Houston and most of the US Midwest and South.

Madrid — Europe/Madrid

Madrid keeps Central European Time (UTC+1 / UTC+2 in summer) despite lying west of London, a 1940 decision that still shapes Spain's famously late working day.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours difference between Chicago and Madrid?

Madrid is 6 hours ahead of Chicago. For most of the year (337 days) the difference is 7 hours; it shifts during the weeks when one of the two cities enters or leaves daylight saving time.

When it is 12:00 noon in Chicago, what time is it in Madrid?

18:00 in Madrid (at today's difference of 6 hours).

What is the best time for a meeting between Chicago and Madrid?

Between 09:00 and 11:00 in Chicago, which is 15:00–17:00 in Madrid: 2 hours of overlap inside both cities' 9:00–17:00 working day.

Do Chicago and Madrid observe daylight saving time?

Chicago: yes. Madrid: yes. Both change, but not necessarily on the same dates — see the transitions section on this page.

What time zone is Chicago in? And Madrid?

Chicago: Central Daylight Time (America/Chicago, UTC−5). Madrid: Central European Standard Time (Europe/Madrid, UTC+1).

Tools

Meeting grid — add both cities and click a slot

Time zone converter — any city, any time

Working hours overlap calculator

Daylight saving time 2027 — all dates