PDT to CDT Converter
Convert time between Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and Central Daylight Time (CDT)
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Central Daylight Time (CDT)
Time Difference
Central Daylight Time (CDT) is 0 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Select Date
Select Time
Quick Reference
| PDT | CDT |
|---|---|
| 18:00 | 20:00 |
| 20:00 | 22:00 |
| 22:00 | 00:00 |
| 00:00 | 02:00 |
| 02:00 | 04:00 |
| 04:00 | 06:00 |
| 06:00 | 08:00 |
| 08:00 | 10:00 |
| 10:00 | 12:00 |
| 12:00 | 14:00 |
| 14:00 | 16:00 |
| 16:00 | 18:00 |
Top 10 Most Common Time Zones
| Abbreviation | Full Name | UTC Offset | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time | UTC ±0 | Global reference standard (servers, logs, APIs) |
| EST / EDT | Eastern (US) Time | UTC −5 / −4 | New York, Toronto — North American business hub |
| CST / CDT | Central (US) Time | UTC −6 / −5 | Chicago, Dallas — US central business region |
| PST / PDT | Pacific (US) Time | UTC −8 / −7 | San Francisco, Los Angeles — tech industry standard |
| GMT / BST | Greenwich Mean / British Summer Time | UTC 0 / +1 | UK, used globally as a reference with UTC |
| CET / CEST | Central European (Summer) Time | UTC +1 / +2 | Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam — EU business core |
| IST | India Standard Time | UTC +5:30 | India — major IT & outsourcing region |
| CST | China Standard Time | UTC +8 | Beijing, Shanghai — East Asia business hub |
| JST | Japan Standard Time | UTC +9 | Tokyo — finance & tech hub |
| AEST / AEDT | Australian Eastern (Daylight) Time | UTC +10 / +11 | Sydney, Melbourne — APAC regional business |
Why Time Zone Abbreviations Are Ambiguous
Unlike standardized identifiers (like America/New_York or Europe/London from the IANA tz database), abbreviations such as "CST" or "IST" are not globally unique. They can refer to different time zones depending on context — country, region, or even time of year (due to daylight saving time).
Common Ambiguous Time Zone Abbreviations
| Abbrev. | Common Meaning(s) | UTC Offset | Region(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CST | Central Standard Time / China Standard Time / Cuba Standard Time | UTC−6 / UTC+8 / UTC−5 | North America, China, Cuba |
| IST | Indian Standard Time / Irish Standard Time / Israel Standard Time | UTC+5:30 / UTC+1 / UTC+2 | India, Ireland, Israel |
| AST | Atlantic Standard Time / Arabia Standard Time | UTC−4 / UTC+3 | Caribbean, Canada, Middle East |
| PST | Pacific Standard Time / Philippine Standard Time | UTC−8 / UTC+8 | North America, Philippines |
| EST | Eastern Standard Time (North America / Australia) | UTC−5 / UTC+10 | North America, Australia |
✅ Best Practice
To avoid ambiguity, always:
- Use IANA tz identifiers — e.g.,
America/New_Yorkinstead of "EST" - Specify UTC offset explicitly — e.g.,
UTC−5when abbreviations must be used - Include the full timezone name — e.g., "Eastern Standard Time (EST)" with UTC offset
Related Time Zone Conversions
About PDT to CDT Time Conversion
Converting time between Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and Central Daylight Time (CDT) is essential for coordinating across the US during daylight saving time months (March to November). PDT is UTC-7 and CDT is UTC-5, making CDT 1 hour ahead of PDT. This is a straightforward one-hour difference during the daylight saving season.
This converter uses the IANA timezone database to ensure accurate calculations during the daylight saving time period. Whether you're scheduling business meetings between coasts, planning travel, or coordinating distributed teams, this tool provides reliable real-time conversions for Pacific and Central region coordination.
Common Use Cases for PDT to CDT Conversion
Business & Work
- Scheduling meetings between Pacific and Central regions during daylight hours
- Coordinating with Chicago, Dallas, and Houston business offices
- Managing distributed US teams across Pacific and Central time zones
- Planning conference calls and webinars across coasts
Personal & Travel
- Planning travel between Pacific and Central regions
- Coordinating with family and friends across time zones
- Scheduling virtual events during daylight saving season
- Understanding broadcast and live event times
Time Zone Information
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
- UTC Offset: UTC-7
- IANA Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
- Daylight Saving: Second Sunday in March to First Sunday in November
- Major Cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Portland
- Coverage: Pacific United States and Canada
Central Daylight Time (CDT)
- UTC Offset: UTC-5
- IANA Timezone: America/Chicago
- Daylight Saving: Second Sunday in March to First Sunday in November
- Major Cities: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Memphis
- Coverage: Central United States and parts of Canada
Quick Reference: PDT to CDT
Note: CDT is always 1 hour ahead of PDT (March - November)