Live · calculated from the IANA time-zone database
Time difference between Los Angeles and Chicago
Short answer
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Right now it is 05:34 in Los Angeles (PDT, UTC−7) and 07:34 in Chicago (CDT, UTC−5).
Right now
Los Angeles · United States
05:34
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Pacific Daylight Time · PDT · UTC−7
Chicago · United States
07:34
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Central Daylight Time · CDT · UTC−5
Times at the moment this page was generated. Reload for a fresh reading.
Does the difference between Los Angeles and Chicago change during the year?
Yes. For 365 days of 2026 the difference is 2 hours, but it moves whenever Los Angeles or Chicago enters or leaves daylight saving time. Here is the full 2026 calendar (dates in UTC):
| From | Until | Chicago vs Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | March 8 | +2 h |
| March 8 | March 8 | +3 h |
| March 8 | November 1 | +2 h |
| November 1 | November 1 | +1 h |
| November 1 | December 31 | +2 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 Chicago from Los Angeles (and vice versa)
The window in which both cities are inside their 9:00–17:00 working day runs from 09:00 to 15:00 in Los Angeles, which is 11:00 to 17:00 in Chicago: 6 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 Chicago are afternoons in Los Angeles. Avoid any hour that falls before 8:00 or after 21:00 in either city.
Los Angeles to Chicago conversion table
Each Los Angeles hour and its equivalent in Chicago today. Rows shaded green are working hours (9:00–17:00) in both cities at once.
| Los Angeles time · Tue, Sep 15 | Chicago 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 |
| 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 |
Looking for it the other way round? This page covers both directions: Chicago to Los Angeles is the same difference with the sign flipped.
The two time zones
Los Angeles — America/Los_Angeles
Los Angeles runs on Pacific Time (PT): UTC−8 in winter (PST) and UTC−7 in summer (PDT). It is the clock of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Seattle and the entire US West Coast.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours difference between Los Angeles and Chicago?
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles. For most of the year (365 days) the difference is 2 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 Los Angeles, what time is it in Chicago?
14:00 in Chicago (at today's difference of 2 hours).
What is the best time for a meeting between Los Angeles and Chicago?
Between 09:00 and 15:00 in Los Angeles, which is 11:00–17:00 in Chicago: 6 hours of overlap inside both cities' 9:00–17:00 working day.
Do Los Angeles and Chicago observe daylight saving time?
Los Angeles: yes. Chicago: yes. Both change, but not necessarily on the same dates — see the transitions section on this page.
What time zone is Los Angeles in? And Chicago?
Los Angeles: Pacific Daylight Time (America/Los_Angeles, UTC−7). Chicago: Central Daylight Time (America/Chicago, UTC−5).
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
More time differences from Los Angeles
More time differences from Chicago
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