Working hours: 09:00–17:00 local. Green = both working.Purple = one side only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cet and cst?
Central European Time (cet) is UTC+2 and Central Standard Time (cst) is UTC-5. The difference between them is 7 hours.
Where is cet used?
Central European Time (cet) is used in France and surrounding regions. The IANA timezone identifier is Europe/Paris.
Where is cst used?
Central Standard Time (cst) is used in USA and surrounding regions. The IANA timezone identifier is America/Chicago. Note: cst is ambiguous and may refer to other timezones.
How do I convert cet to cst?
Use the interactive converter above. Drag the time slider to any cet time and the cst equivalent updates instantly. You can also type a time like "3pm" or "15:00" in the input bar.
CET (Paris) is 7 hours ahead of CST (Chicago). When CET (Paris) clocks hit noon, CST (Chicago) reads 05:00.
CET (Paris) is in the Europe/Paris timezone. CST (Chicago) is in America/Chicago. The difference is 7 hours.
Business hours comparison
Every working day, CET (Paris) and CST (Chicago) are both in business hours for 1 hour simultaneously.
00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
CET (Paris)
CST (Chicago)
Overlap (1h)
When to schedule across time zones
Both CET (Paris) and CST (Chicago) are in standard hours simultaneously for 1h per day.
16:00 Paris / 09:00 Chicago✓ Both working
Based on standard 09:00–17:00 working hours in each location's local time.
Holiday calendar for both locations
⚡ Both locations have upcoming holidays, check availability before scheduling.
CET (Paris)5 holidays
Jul 14Bastille Day
Aug 15Assumption Day
Nov 1All Saints' Day
Nov 11Armistice Day
Dec 25Christmas Day
CST (Chicago)8 holidays
Jun 19Juneteenth National Independence DaySOON
Jul 3Independence Day
Sep 7Labour Day
Oct 12Columbus Day
Oct 12Indigenous Peoples' Day
Working across CET (Paris) and CST (Chicago)
Working across CET (Paris) (France) and CST (Chicago) (USA) involves a 7-hour gap. The good news: there is a 1-hour mutual window in standard business hours that lets both sides collaborate without anyone joining at an unreasonable hour.
💡 Best practice for cross-timezone meetings
✅
16:00–17:00 in CET (Paris) = 09:00–10:00 in CST (Chicago). Both sides are in standard business hours during this window.
DST transitions can silently shift your meeting times by an hour. The ClockinSync Chrome Extension tracks these changes automatically so you never get caught off guard.
Use the time slider above to find the exact equivalent time for any moment in CET (Paris). The input bar accepts natural language like "3pm", "15:30", or "9am Rome" for instant conversions.