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Central Time • CST / CDT • Dual-Boundary Map

Central Time Zone Map

See exactly where Central Time is used and where it meets Eastern and Mountain Time. Explore both U.S. Central Time boundaries, inspect split states, search cities and choose any date to see whether a location uses CST (UTC−06:00), CDT (UTC−05:00) or another local Central Time rule.

Eastern–Central boundary Central–Mountain boundary 10 split states Live CST / CDT Any-date view Print & download
Loading Central Time geography · dual-boundary + city view
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Interactive Central Time Zone map A focused map of Central Time in the United States and nearby North America. Central Time is highlighted between Eastern and Mountain Time, with searchable cities, both U.S. boundary lines, split-state context and date-aware CST or CDT labels.
Central Time geometry is shown with date-aware IANA rules. U.S. Eastern–Central and Central–Mountain boundary descriptions are checked against 49 CFR Part 71; interactive polygons are cartographic reference geometry, not a legal survey. Sources & methodology · Need rules instead? Open the Central Time Zone guide

A Central Time Map Built Around Two Boundaries

Central Time sits between two major U.S. legal time-zone lines. This map makes both boundaries—and the states they split—the main event.

See Central vs EasternFollow the eastern edge through Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida instead of relying on a simplified one-color state map.
See Central vs MountainTrace the western edge through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.
Inspect 10 split statesJump directly to the states where Central Time shares geography with Eastern or Mountain Time.
Choose CST or CDT by dateUse location-specific IANA rules so the map does not assume every Central Time location changes clocks together.

CST vs CDT on the Central Time Zone Map

Central Time is the umbrella zone; CST and CDT are seasonal labels where daylight saving time is observed. In participating U.S. locations, Central Standard Time is UTC−06:00 and Central Daylight Time is UTC−05:00.

Central Time does not follow one universal seasonal rule across North America. Chicago, Dallas and Winnipeg change seasonally, while Mexico City is UTC−06:00 year-round under current IANA rules. The selected date is calculated location by location.

CST · UTC−06:00Central Standard Time is the standard-time label for participating locations and is also used year-round in some Central Time areas.
CDT · UTC−05:00Central Daylight Time is used during daylight saving time in participating Central locations.
2026 U.S. DST windowDaylight saving time runs from March 8 to November 1, 2026 in participating U.S. Central Time locations.

10 States Split by Central Time Boundaries

Five states meet Central Time along the Eastern–Central line and five meet it along the Central–Mountain line. The federal descriptions in 49 CFR §§ 71.5 and 71.7 follow county lines, state borders, rivers, highways and other named features rather than simple longitude lines.

Full U.S. map →
StateCentral Time AreaOther ZoneBoundary ContextDetailed MapTime Zone Guide

How to Read the Central Time Zone Map

Six details explain why a dedicated Central Time map is more useful than a simple list of states.

01 · Position

Central Time Has Two Main U.S. Edges

The federal Central zone lies west of the Eastern–Central boundary in § 71.5 and east of the Central–Mountain boundary in § 71.7.

02 · East Boundary

Follow Eastern–Central Through Five Split States

Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida contain areas on both sides of the Eastern–Central line.

03 · West Boundary

Follow Central–Mountain Through Five More

North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas contain Central and Mountain Time areas.

04 · Seasons

CT Is Not Always CDT in Summer

Many U.S. and Canadian Central locations switch to CDT, but some Central Time locations remain on CST year-round. The selected date is evaluated per IANA zone.

05 · Boundary Rule

Boundary-Line Municipalities Are Treated Differently

On the Eastern–Central line, municipalities on the boundary are Central. On the Central–Mountain line they are Mountain, except Murdo, South Dakota, which is Central.

06 · IANA

Use Location-Specific IANA Zones

America/Chicago is a representative Central zone, while America/Indiana/Knox, America/North_Dakota/Center, America/Winnipeg and America/Mexico_City preserve local rule histories.

Explore Central Time Boundaries in More Detail

Open the U.S. overview, compare the neighboring Eastern and Mountain zones, or inspect state maps selected for Central Time geography.

Open U.S. Time Zone Map →
Parent mapUnited StatesAll U.S. zones and both Central boundaries Neighbor zoneEastern TimeThe eastern side of the Eastern–Central line Neighbor zoneMountain TimeThe western side of the Central–Mountain line Split stateKentuckyCentral and Eastern Time geography Split stateTennesseeCentral and Eastern Time geography Split stateTexasCentral Time with Mountain Time in far west Texas Central stateIllinoisStatewide Central Time geography Map directoryAll Time Zone MapsWorld, regional, zone, state and country maps

Central Time State Map Shortcuts

Use these focused pages when you need state-scale geography instead of the full Central Time region.

Detailed mapKentuckyCentral / Eastern boundary Detailed mapTennesseeCentral / Eastern boundary Detailed mapTexasCentral / Mountain boundary in far west Texas Detailed mapAlabamaStatewide Central Time geography Detailed mapIllinoisStatewide Central Time geography Detailed mapWisconsinStatewide Central Time geography Broader mapUnited StatesCompare Central with every U.S. time zone DirectoryTime Zone MapsOpen the full visual map collection
Printable • SVG • PNG

Zoom to either Central Time boundary or a split state, choose the date you need, then print the focused map or save it as SVG or PNG.

For reference use only. U.S. legal time-zone boundaries are governed by federal law and may change through rulemaking; interactive cartographic polygons are not a legal survey.

Central Time Map vs Central Time Guide

Use this page when geography is the question. It is designed to show where Central Time is used, where it meets Eastern and Mountain Time, and why ten U.S. states need boundary-level detail.

Use the Central Time Zone guide for definitions, locations, IANA examples and seasonal rules. Use CST Time Now or CDT Time Now when the live abbreviation itself is your task.

Central Time ZoneU.S. Time Zones

Central Time in 2026: CST, CDT and Year-Round CST

The Central Time label spans locations with different seasonal rules, so the selected map date is evaluated per IANA zone.

U.S. Central Time · 2026March 8 → November 1

Participating U.S. Central locations use daylight saving time during this federal 2026 window.

Seasonal U.S. patternCST · UTC−06 ↔ CDT · UTC−05

Chicago, Dallas, Houston and most participating U.S. Central locations move between standard and daylight time.

Different local ruleMexico City · UTC−06 year-round

Under current IANA rules, Mexico City remains at UTC−06:00 rather than switching with U.S. Central Time.

Sources & Methodology

CalendarHours separates four data questions: legal U.S. boundary descriptions, base geography, IANA time-zone rules and interactive boundary geometry. The U.S. Central zone is defined between the Eastern–Central boundary in 49 CFR § 71.5 and the Central–Mountain boundary in § 71.7, with the Central zone itself described in § 71.6.

Date-aware abbreviations and UTC offsets use IANA time-zone rules available through the browser. The current database baseline is tzdb 2026c. Interactive time-zone polygons are treated as approximate cartographic geometry; timezone-boundary-builder 2026c uses updated OpenStreetMap inputs and current timezone database data.

eCFR — 49 CFR Part 71: Standard Time Zone Boundaries U.S. DOT — Uniform Time & Time Zone Oversight NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules IANA — Time Zone Database Timezone Boundary Builder — Approximate IANA Zone Geometry Natural Earth — Base Geography

Reviewed August 23, 2026. The eCFR page was current through August 20, 2026; IANA tzdb 2026c was released July 8, 2026. Federal legal descriptions are authoritative reference text; interactive polygons are visual aids and should not be used as legal survey boundaries.

Central Time Zone Map FAQ

Where is the Central Time Zone in the United States?

Federal regulation defines the Central zone as the U.S. area west of the Eastern–Central boundary in 49 CFR § 71.5 and east of the Central–Mountain boundary in § 71.7.

Which states are split between Central and Eastern Time?

Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee contain areas in both Central and Eastern Time.

Which states are split between Central and Mountain Time?

Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas contain areas in both Central and Mountain Time.

Does Central Time mean CST or CDT?

Central Time is the umbrella label. Participating locations use CST at UTC−06:00 during standard time and CDT at UTC−05:00 during daylight saving time. Some Central Time locations remain on CST year-round.

When does U.S. Central Time switch in 2026?

In participating U.S. locations, daylight saving time begins March 8, 2026 at 2 a.m. local time and ends November 1, 2026 at 2 a.m. local time.

Is Texas all in Central Time?

No. Most of Texas is in Central Time, while the far-west area around El Paso and Hudspeth County is on the Mountain Time side of the federal Central–Mountain boundary.

What happens to municipalities directly on the Central Time boundaries?

Under 49 CFR § 71.5, municipalities on the Eastern–Central boundary are in Central Time. Under § 71.7, municipalities on the Central–Mountain boundary are in Mountain Time, except Murdo, South Dakota, which is in Central Time.

Why can Mexico City differ from Chicago even though both are associated with Central Time?

They follow different local rules. Chicago follows the U.S. daylight-saving schedule, while Mexico City remains at UTC−06:00 year-round under current IANA rules. The map evaluates each location separately.

Can I print or download this map?

Yes. Use Print Map, Download SVG or Download PNG. The export reflects the current map view, selected date and visible city layer.

Is this an official legal boundary survey?

No. CalendarHours uses official federal legal descriptions as a reference and IANA-aligned approximate geometry for interactive visualization. For legal boundary questions, consult the current federal regulation and U.S. Department of Transportation.