London to Chicago Time Difference
Chicago is 6 hours behind London. When it's 01:58:11 PM in London, it's 07:58:11 AM in Chicago.
How Many Hours Behind Is Chicago From London?
Chicago is 6 hours behind London. So London is 6 hours ahead of Chicago looking the other way — the same gap, described from the other end.
In practice that means a working day in London starts when it is already 3:00 AM in Chicago. The gap is not fixed all year: it becomes 5 hours on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when London changes its clocks.
Best Time to Call London and Chicago
Both cities are inside normal business hours between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM in London — that's 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in Chicago. That's a 2-hour window, so a call fits comfortably in either side's working day.
both at work London only Chicago only neither — hours shown along the strip are London local time.
Convert a Specific Time
Pick any date and time in London to see the exact equivalent in Chicago.
Common Times Converted
London time on the left, Chicago time on the right.
London to Chicago: Full 24-Hour Conversion Table
Based on today, Sunday, October 11, 2026 in London. Shaded rows are working hours; the darker shade marks the hours when both cities are at work.
| London | Chicago | Working hours |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 6:00 PM prev day | — |
| 1:00 AM | 7:00 PM prev day | — |
| 2:00 AM | 8:00 PM prev day | — |
| 3:00 AM | 9:00 PM prev day | — |
| 4:00 AM | 10:00 PM prev day | — |
| 5:00 AM | 11:00 PM prev day | — |
| 6:00 AM | 12:00 AM | — |
| 7:00 AM | 1:00 AM | — |
| 8:00 AM | 2:00 AM | — |
| 9:00 AM | 3:00 AM | London only |
| 10:00 AM | 4:00 AM | London only |
| 11:00 AM | 5:00 AM | London only |
| 12:00 PM | 6:00 AM | London only |
| 1:00 PM | 7:00 AM | London only |
| 2:00 PM | 8:00 AM | London only |
| 3:00 PM | 9:00 AM | Both cities |
| 4:00 PM | 10:00 AM | Both cities |
| 5:00 PM | 11:00 AM | Chicago only |
| 6:00 PM | 12:00 PM | Chicago only |
| 7:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Chicago only |
| 8:00 PM | 2:00 PM | Chicago only |
| 9:00 PM | 3:00 PM | Chicago only |
| 10:00 PM | 4:00 PM | Chicago only |
| 11:00 PM | 5:00 PM | — |
Understanding the London – Chicago Time Difference
London runs on Europe/London, currently BST (UTC+1:00). Chicago runs on America/Chicago, currently CDT (UTC-5:00). The gap of 6 hours is simply the distance between those two offsets.
Both cities observe Daylight Saving Time, but they don't switch on the same date — so for a few weeks each year the gap between them is different again. The next shift is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when London adjusts its clocks and the difference becomes 5 hours. Anything scheduled across that date needs checking again.
Full clock-change dates: Daylight Saving Time in the United Kingdom · Daylight Saving Time in the United States.
London today
Chicago today
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between London and Chicago?
Chicago is currently 6 hours behind London. That gap becomes 5 hours on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when London changes its clocks.
How many hours behind is Chicago from London?
Chicago is 6 hours behind London. Looking at it the other way, London is 6 hours ahead of Chicago.
What time is it in Chicago when it is 9:00 AM in London?
When it is 9:00 AM in London, it is 3:00 AM in Chicago.
Is Chicago ahead of or behind London?
Chicago is 6 hours behind London. London reaches each point in the day first, so Chicago is still getting started while the London working day is finishing.
What is the best time to call between London and Chicago?
Between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM London time, which is 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in Chicago. Both cities are inside normal business hours during that window.
Does the time difference between London and Chicago change during the year?
Yes. Both cities observe Daylight Saving Time, and they do not always switch on the same date, so the gap between them shifts during the year. It changes to 5 hours on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
What time zones are London and Chicago in?
London uses the Europe/London time zone, currently BST (UTC+1:00). Chicago uses America/Chicago, currently CDT (UTC-5:00).