Central Daylight Time Zone - CDT

Central Daylight Time is five hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time standard, written as an offset of UTC - 5. That means to find the standard time in the zone, you must subtract five hours from the Coordinated Universal Time.

Territories observing the time zone are primarily in the middle of North America and Central America. It runs through the central parts of Canada, the United States and most of Mexico and also encompasses Central America, the Caribbean Islands and part of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The United States and Canada actually refer to this zone as the Central Daylight Saving Time Zone or CDST.

During fall to winter months Central Standard Time is used, and then during Daylight Saving (spring to summer months) Central Daylight Time or CDT is used.

Locations in the Central Daylight Time Zone

The following areas are included in the time zone:

• United States

  • Alabama

  • Arkansas

  • Florida (panhandle)

  • Illinois

  • Indiana

  • Iowa

  • Kansas

  • Kentucky

  • Louisiana

  • Michigan

  • Minnesota

  • Mississippi

  • Missouri

  • Nebraska

  • North Dakota

  • Oklahoma

  • South Dakota

  • Tennessee

  • Texas

  • Wisconsin

• Canada

  • Manitoba

  • Nunavut (western areas)

  • Ontario (northwest portion)

• Mexico

  • Aguascalientes

  • Campeche

  • Coahuila

  • Colima

  • Chiapas

  • Durango

  • Guanajuato

  • Guerrero

  • Hidalgo

  • Jalisco

  • Mexico

  • Michoacan

  • Morelos

  • Nuevo Leon

  • Oaxaca

  • Puebla

  • Queretaro

  • San Luis Potosi

  • Tabasco

  • Tamaulipas

  • Tlaxcala

  • Veracruz

  • Yucatan

  • Zacatecas

• Central America and Caribbean Islands

  • Belize

  • Costa Rica

  • El Salvador

  • Guatemala

  • Honduras

  • Nicaragua

Exceptions

Some areas are split, which means that one portion of a territory may be in one time zone and the rest in another. Although the locations on the list above may have a portion in the Central Daylight Time zone, they may also have exceptions which are listed below.

Exceptions In the United States

Alabama - Phenix City and its surrounding communities -- including Valley, Smiths Station, and Lanett -- actually observe Eastern Time (UTC - 5). This is because they are directly connected to the greater metropolitan area of Columbus, Georgia which is located in the Eastern Time zone.

Florida - Most of Florida actually observes the Eastern Time zone, however the panhandle -- west of the Apalachicola river -- uses Central and Daylight Time.

Indiana - The southwestern and northwestern corners of the state -- which border Illinois and Kentucky respectively -- observe Central and Daylight Time.

Kansas - the westernmost counties including Wallace, Sherman, Greeley and Hamilton do not observe Central or Daylight Time

Kentucky - the western half of the state -- west of Louisville -- observes Central and Daylight Time

Michigan - the four Upper Peninsula counties -- including Gogebic, Iron, Menominee and Dickinson -- observe Central and Daylight Time

North Dakota - the southwestern area -- south of the Missouri river -- do not observe Central or Daylight Time

Oklahoma -- the community of Kenton observes Mountain Time (unofficially)

South Dakota -- Only the eastern half of the state observes Central and Daylight Time

Tennessee - the western and middle portions of the state observe Central and Daylight Time

Texas - Hudspeth and El Paso Counties don't observe Central and Daylight Time