Convert CST to CET Central Standard Time ↔ Central European Time Free Online Secure
Type a time in CST and read it in CET straight away. The offset is +7 h, the arithmetic wraps at midnight, and the answer says which day it lands on.
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Through the day — Convert CST to CET (Central Standard Time ↔ Central European Time)
| CST | CET |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 07:00 |
| 03:00 | 10:00 |
| 06:00 | 13:00 |
| 09:00 | 16:00 |
| 12:00 | 19:00 |
| 15:00 | 22:00 |
| 18:00 | 01:00 |
| 21:00 | 04:00 |
Where these units come from
Until the middle of the nineteenth century every town kept its own noon, set by the sun overhead, and nobody minded that the next town was four minutes behind. Railways ended that: a timetable cannot be written for a hundred local noons. Britain put its railways on Greenwich time in 1847, and in 1884 the International Meridian Conference in Washington chose Greenwich as the prime meridian and sketched the twenty-four-hour scheme we still use. Greenwich Mean Time was the world's reference until 1972, when Coordinated Universal Time replaced it: UTC is kept by atomic clocks and tied back to the turning Earth by leap seconds. The abbreviations on this page name standard time — the winter setting — which is why each one is a fixed number of hours rather than something that drifts through the year.
Where you meet them
A time zone becomes real the moment two people in different places have to agree on one moment: a call between offices, a flight that lands before it took off, a market that opens while you are asleep, a deadline written in somebody else's afternoon. Server logs, train and flight schedules and anything stamped with a time are kept in UTC precisely so that the question can always be settled, no matter whose clock was on the wall.
Questions people ask
What about summer time?
The offsets here are standard-time offsets, the ones a zone keeps in winter. Where summer time is observed, the same places move one hour further on for part of the year and take a different name: Central European Time becomes Central European Summer Time, Eastern Standard Time becomes Eastern Daylight Time. The switching dates are not the same in every country, and the two hemispheres change in opposite months, so for a date inside a summer-time period add an hour to whichever side observes it.
Why isn't every difference a whole number of hours?
Because offsets are decided by governments, not by geometry. India is half an hour off the hour, at UTC+05:30; Nepal is three quarters, at UTC+05:45; the Chatham Islands are at UTC+12:45. Any of these can be changed by law, and several countries have moved their offset within living memory.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
From Houston to Darmstadt: seven hours between two control rooms
Mission control in Houston announces a press briefing for 10:00 a.m. CT. A panel at the Austin festival starts at 3:00 p.m. CT. The grain exchange in Chicago opens at 8:30 a.m. CT. Anyone following those moments from Germany, France, Italy, Spain or Poland has to convert CST to CET. On standard time the calculation fits on one line: add seven hours. 10:00 a.m. CST becomes 17:00 CET, 3:00 p.m. CST becomes 22:00 CET, and 8:30 a.m. CST becomes 15:30 CET. Seven hours holds in summer too, between CDT and CEST. The distance falls to six hours only between 8 and 28 March and between 25 and 31 October.
The page contains the rule, the tables, a description of the zones and episodes from space research, music, energy, motor racing and the commodities trade. The calculation takes place in your browser, and no figure is sent to a server.
Space research: Houston and Darmstadt
Press briefings
A briefing announced for 10:00 a.m. CST takes place at 17:00 CET. European engineers at the control centre in Darmstadt follow it at the end of their day, those in Texas in mid-morning.
Working meetings
Joint meetings between the two centres are held at 9:00 a.m. CST, which is 16:00 CET. A “convert CST to CET” calculation made beforehand shows that the Europeans have only the last hour of their schedule left.
The Austin festival
Morning panels
A panel at 10:00 a.m. CT is at 17:00 CET in winter. In March, when America goes onto summer time three weeks before Europe, the same panel at 10:00 a.m. CDT is at 16:00 CET: the distance is six hours, not seven.
Evening concerts
A concert that starts at 9:00 p.m. CT starts at 04:00 CET the next morning. European fans usually follow it in a repeat.
Energy: the conference in Houston
The day’s programme
The first session of an energy conference begins at 8:00 a.m. CT, which is 15:00 CET. European delegates taking part remotely catch it in mid-afternoon.
Market announcements
A report on oil stocks published at 9:30 a.m. CT appears at 16:30 CET. European traders receive it at most an hour before a European exchange closes.
The Mexico City Grand Prix
Race time
Mexico has not changed its clocks since 2022 and stays on UTC−6. A race at 14:00 local time is at 21:00 CET in winter and at 22:00 CEST in summer. For Europeans it is an evening race.
Qualifying
Saturday qualifying, at 15:00 Mexican time, is at 22:00 CET. A “convert CST to CET” calculation made beforehand shows that for Europeans it falls toward the end of the evening.
Music in Nashville and New Orleans
An evening at the Grand Ole Opry
A Saturday-night show starting at 7:00 p.m. CT begins at 02:00 CET in the small hours of Sunday. Europeans follow it in a repeat.
The jazz festival
An afternoon concert at 3:00 p.m. CDT in spring is at 22:00 CEST. For fans in Europe, New Orleans jazz is evening music.
The commodity and derivatives exchanges
Grain in Chicago
The grain exchange opens at 8:30 a.m. CT, which is 15:30 CET, and closes at 1:20 p.m. CT, which is 20:20 CET. European traders follow it from midday into the evening.
European contracts
European government-bond contracts trade until 22:00 CET, which is 3:00 p.m. CST. The two markets work side by side for almost the whole European afternoon.
Thanksgiving football
The afternoon game
The Thanksgiving game in Dallas starts at 3:30 p.m. CST, which is 22:30 CET. Europeans watch late in the evening.
The family dinner
Thanksgiving dinner begins at 4:00 p.m. CST, which is 23:00 CET. A “convert CST to CET” calculation shows at once that relatives in Europe must call before that hour.
How to convert CST to CET
Add seven
CST is UTC−6 and CET is UTC+1. Seven hours lie between them, with Central Europe ahead. Take the American time on a 24-hour clock and add 7; if the total passes 24, subtract 24 and go to the next day. That happens for every Central time from 17:00 onward.
Eight values to remember
02:00 CST is 09:00 CET. 06:30 CST is 13:30 CET. 09:00 CST is 16:00 CET. 12:00 CST is 19:00 CET. 15:45 CST is 22:45 CET. 17:00 CST is 00:00 CET the next day. 20:00 CST is 03:00 CET the next day. 23:30 CST is 06:30 CET the next day. The last three move into the next day.
With summer time
On CDT against CEST the seven-hour gap remains: 10:00 a.m. CDT is 17:00 CEST. Only in the two short stretches when America or Europe has moved its clocks and the other has not does the figure become six.
The Central time zone
Where it applies
UTC−6 is the winter clock of Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Nashville, Winnipeg and all of Mexico. In summer the American states move to UTC−5 under the name CDT.
Exceptions
Mexico and the province of Saskatchewan do not change their clocks and stay on UTC−6. Against Central Europe their gap is seven hours in winter and nine in summer.
Central European time
Countries and clocks
CET, UTC+1, is the winter clock of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. In summer they move to CEST, UTC+2, from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October.
Romania
Romania runs an hour ahead of Central Europe. A reader in Bucharest therefore adds eight hours to American Central time, not seven.
Seven hours between the dials
Office hours
A Chicago office open from 09:00 to 17:00 works, on Central European time, from 16:00 to 00:00. A European office open from 09:00 to 17:00 works from 02:00 to 10:00 on the Central clock. The two days touch for a single hour, from 16:00 to 17:00 CET.
Who rings first
A call from Frankfurt at 16:00 CET reaches 9:00 a.m. CST, at the start of the American day. One from 11:00 CET reaches 4:00 a.m. CST, when nobody is at the office.
Across the ocean
A flight from Chicago to Frankfurt that leaves at 17:30 CST and takes nearly eight hours lands at 01:30 CST, which is 08:30 CET. The ticket shows 17:30 and 08:30, as for a trip of fifteen hours.
Spain and Mexico: the same language, different clocks
Spanish-language programmes
An evening programme in Mexico City at 9:00 p.m. CST starts at 04:00 CET the next morning. Viewers in Spain see it in a repeat.
Family calls
A call from Madrid at 20:00 CET reaches Mexico City at 13:00 CST in winter. In summer the gap to Madrid is eight hours, not seven, because Spain moves to summer time and Mexico does not.
Dated examples
January
On Thursday 22 January, 09:00 CST reads 16:00 CET. Both continents are on standard time.
March
On Thursday 12 March, 09:00 CDT reads 15:00 CET. America moved to summer time on 8 March and Europe only on the 29th, so the real distance is six hours.
July
On Thursday 23 July, 09:00 CDT reads 16:00 CEST. Both are on summer time, and the distance is seven hours.
October and December
On Thursday 29 October, 09:00 CDT reads 15:00 CET, because Europe returned to standard time on 25 October and America only on 1 November. On Thursday 10 December, 09:00 CST reads 16:00 CET.
The four weeks with a six-hour gap
The three in spring
Between 8 and 28 March America is on summer time while Central Europe is still on winter time. The distance between CST and CET is then six hours.
The one in autumn
Between 25 and 31 October Europe has returned to standard time and America has not. A “convert CST to CET” calculation on the seven-hour figure gives a result an hour too late.
Developer teams between Austin and Munich
The joint meeting
A team with members in Austin and Munich sets its meeting for 9:00 a.m. CST, which is 16:00 CET. For the Bavarians it is the end of the working day, for the Texans the beginning.
The handover
Work that ends at 5:00 p.m. CST reaches Munich at 00:00 CET and waits for the morning. Anyone who does a “convert CST to CET” calculation at each handover sees why written notes are a must.
More clocks, counted from the middle of America
How many hours to add
From Central time add seven hours for Berlin, six for London, eight for Bucharest and eleven and a half for Delhi. Subtract two hours for the Pacific.
One instant, four cities
When it is 10:00 a.m. in Chicago, it is 16:00 in London, 17:00 in Berlin, 18:00 in Bucharest and 8:00 in Los Angeles. An invitation that lists them all spares the reader any convert CST to CET.
Online classes between universities
Lesson time
A lesson scheduled for 8:00 a.m. CST is at 15:00 CET. Students in Texas start their day, those in Germany end theirs.
Submission deadlines
A deadline of 11:59 p.m. CST falls at 06:59 CET the next day. A European student who counts the deadline as midnight on their own clock actually has nearly seven hours more.
Storms on the Plains, read from Europe
Time of the bulletin
A warning valid until 9:00 p.m. CT expires at 04:00 CET. European readers following the spring storms know that the time on a bulletin is the local one.
How to read it
Each bulletin has a time of issue and a time of expiry, both local. If you convert CST to CET for both, you learn how long the alert stays valid.
How the clock changes affect this pair
The 2026 calendar
The difference between CST and CET depends on the date. In 2026: 1 January to 7 March, 29 March to 24 October and 1 November to 31 December — CET runs 7 hours ahead of CST; 8 to 28 March and 25 to 31 October — CET runs 6 hours ahead of CST.
What to do about it
In the summer periods the labels are CDT and CEST. The calculator above uses the winter gap of 7 hours. For other dates, adjust the result by the difference between that figure and the gap listed for the period. Whenever you convert CST to CET, check which period the date falls in first.
A 24-hour lookup table
From CST to CET
00:00 CST is 07:00 CET. 01:00 CST is 08:00 CET. 02:00 CST is 09:00 CET. 03:00 CST is 10:00 CET. 04:00 CST is 11:00 CET. 05:00 CST is 12:00 CET. 06:00 CST is 13:00 CET. 07:00 CST is 14:00 CET. 08:00 CST is 15:00 CET. 09:00 CST is 16:00 CET. 10:00 CST is 17:00 CET. 11:00 CST is 18:00 CET. 12:00 CST is 19:00 CET. 13:00 CST is 20:00 CET. 14:00 CST is 21:00 CET. 15:00 CST is 22:00 CET. 16:00 CST is 23:00 CET. 17:00 CST is 00:00 CET (next day). 18:00 CST is 01:00 CET (next day). 19:00 CST is 02:00 CET (next day). 20:00 CST is 03:00 CET (next day). 21:00 CST is 04:00 CET (next day). 22:00 CST is 05:00 CET (next day). 23:00 CST is 06:00 CET (next day).
What the table shows
On the left of each pair is a CST reading; on the right, the CET reading for the same moment, with the date change marked. The sums are the ones the calculator performs when you convert CST to CET. The offset has no minutes in it, so a reading of :45 stays :45 after the conversion. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
The :30 rows
CST to CET, thirty minutes past
00:30 CST is 07:30 CET. 01:30 CST is 08:30 CET. 02:30 CST is 09:30 CET. 03:30 CST is 10:30 CET. 04:30 CST is 11:30 CET. 05:30 CST is 12:30 CET. 06:30 CST is 13:30 CET. 07:30 CST is 14:30 CET. 08:30 CST is 15:30 CET. 09:30 CST is 16:30 CET. 10:30 CST is 17:30 CET. 11:30 CST is 18:30 CET. 12:30 CST is 19:30 CET. 13:30 CST is 20:30 CET. 14:30 CST is 21:30 CET. 15:30 CST is 22:30 CET. 16:30 CST is 23:30 CET. 17:30 CST is 00:30 CET (next day). 18:30 CST is 01:30 CET (next day). 19:30 CST is 02:30 CET (next day). 20:30 CST is 03:30 CET (next day). 21:30 CST is 04:30 CET (next day). 22:30 CST is 05:30 CET (next day). 23:30 CST is 06:30 CET (next day).
Purpose of the list
These are the readings people forget to check: events at :30. Look up the CST time and read the CET time beside it instead of repeating the calculation. The gap used here is the standard winter one; the period section lists the dates on which it differs.
Ten readings with minutes
Examples from CST to CET
01:05 CST is 08:05 CET. 03:20 CST is 10:20 CET. 05:50 CST is 12:50 CET. 07:35 CST is 14:35 CET. 10:10 CST is 17:10 CET. 13:25 CST is 20:25 CET. 16:40 CST is 23:40 CET. 19:55 CST is 02:55 CET (next day). 22:15 CST is 05:15 CET (next day). 23:05 CST is 06:05 CET (next day).
What to notice
These are less round examples, with minutes. Only the hour moves. Minutes pass through unchanged, which makes this pair easy to check by eye. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
What part of the day is it?
CET equivalents for each CST hour
06:00 CST is 13:00 CET (around midday). 08:00 CST is 15:00 CET (afternoon). 10:00 CST is 17:00 CET (afternoon). 12:00 CST is 19:00 CET (evening). 14:00 CST is 21:00 CET (evening). 16:00 CST is 23:00 CET (night). 18:00 CST is 01:00 CET (night). 20:00 CST is 03:00 CET (night). 22:00 CST is 05:00 CET (early morning).
How to use the list
The words in brackets describe the part of the day in CET. They help you avoid planning a call or a task for the middle of the night after you convert CST to CET. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
Before you convert CST to CET: a short checklist
First
Read the labels
Beware that CST is also China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC−5); this page uses the North American Central zone. A schedule in Warsaw or Madrid in July says CEST, not CET, though the country is the same.
Use a 24-hour clock
Turn a.m. and p.m. into the 24-hour form first: 4:30 p.m. is 16:30 and 12:00 a.m. is 00:00. For example, 09:15 CST becomes 16:15 CET.
After the sum
The operation
Add 7 hours. If the result passes midnight, correct the date: readings from 17:00 fall on the next date.
A second example
Late in the evening, 22:40 CST becomes 05:40 CET (next day).
Traps to avoid when you convert CST to CET
Subtracting instead of adding
Because CET runs ahead of CST, the result must be a later clock reading. An earlier one points to a subtraction.
Losing the date
CST readings from 17:00 fall on the next date. If the date stays put, the answer is a full day out.
The standard figure in the wrong weeks
On some dates in 2026 the distance between CST and CET differs from the usual one, so read the period list before you apply it.
Confusing the abbreviation
The abbreviation CST is shared with China (UTC+8) and Cuba (UTC−5); on this page it always means Central North America. CET covers Central Europe; Romania is one hour further east on EET.
Quick answers
What is the difference between CST and CET?
7 hours, and CET is ahead of CST. That is the standard figure; on some dates in 2026 it differs, as the period list shows.
What do I do to convert CST to CET?
Add 7 hours to the CST time, then fix the date if the result passes midnight.
What does 21:45 CST become in CET?
04:45 CET on the next day in the standard period.
Is the gap the same in every month?
No, it differs on some dates; the period list above shows which.
Does the page keep what I type?
No. The calculation runs in your browser.
Where to go next
See also Convert CST to WET, Convert CST to GMT, Convert IST to CET, Convert EST to CET, Convert CET to UTC, Convert EST to CST, Convert GMT to UTC, Convert UTC to CET, Convert EST to UTC. The opposite direction is Convert CET to CST.
To sum up: convert CST to CET by one rule (add 7 hours) and a glance at the calendar. The work is done on your device.