San Francisco zone
PDT (GMT-7)
Chicago zone
CDT (GMT-5)
Difference
2 hours ahead of San Francisco
Business overlap
6h (9-5 windows)
Working hours overlap
Each cell is one hour in San Francisco. Filled cells mark when 9 AM – 5 PM in San Francisco and Chicago both apply.
6 hours per day
- San Francisco
- GMT-7
- Chicago
- GMT-5
- Difference
- +2h
- Business overlap
- 6h
Hour-by-hour conversion
Each row shows the matching local time in Chicago for an hour in San Francisco.
| San Francisco | Chicago | Day | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 2:00 AM | same day | — |
| 1:00 AM | 3:00 AM | same day | — |
| 2:00 AM | 4:00 AM | same day | — |
| 3:00 AM | 5:00 AM | same day | — |
| 4:00 AM | 6:00 AM | same day | — |
| 5:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day | — |
| 6:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day | — |
| 7:00 AM | 9:00 AM | same day | — |
| 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM | same day | — |
| 9:00 AM | 11:00 AM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 10:00 AM | 12:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 11:00 AM | 1:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 12:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 1:00 PM | 3:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 2:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 3:00 PM | 5:00 PM | same day | — |
| 4:00 PM | 6:00 PM | same day | — |
| 5:00 PM | 7:00 PM | same day | — |
| 6:00 PM | 8:00 PM | same day | — |
| 7:00 PM | 9:00 PM | same day | — |
| 8:00 PM | 10:00 PM | same day | — |
| 9:00 PM | 11:00 PM | same day | — |
| 10:00 PM | 12:00 AM | next day | — |
| 11:00 PM | 1:00 AM | next day | — |
Best meeting windows
If both teams keep standard 9 AM – 5 PM hours, the overlap window is roughly 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM in San Francisco time. That gives you 6 hours per workday for live meetings.
Tighter overlap is achievable by having the side with later working hours start earlier, or by treating the first and last hours of each side as flexible. The bar above marks every hour where both cities sit inside a 9 AM – 5 PM window.
About converting San Francisco time to Chicago time
San Francisco follows the America/Los_Angeles time zone (currently PDT, GMT-7), while Chicago follows America/Chicago (currently CDT, GMT-5). Chicago is 2 hours ahead of San Francisco right now.
Both cities observe daylight saving time. If their transition weekends differ, the offset shifts by one hour for a few weeks each spring and autumn.
Daylight saving transitions in 2026
San Francisco
- Spring forward · Sunday, March 8, 2026
- Fall back · Sunday, November 1, 2026
Chicago
- Spring forward · Sunday, March 8, 2026
- Fall back · Sunday, November 1, 2026
Reverse this conversion
Chicago to San Francisco
Open the converter
Plan a meeting between San Francisco and Chicago
More conversions from San Francisco
Frequently asked questions
- How many hours is San Francisco from Chicago?
- Chicago is 2 hours ahead of San Francisco right now.
- What time is 9:00 AM San Francisco in Chicago?
- 9:00 AM in San Francisco is 11:00 AM in Chicago.
- What time is 5:00 PM San Francisco in Chicago?
- 5:00 PM in San Francisco is 7:00 PM in Chicago.
- When do San Francisco and Chicago business hours overlap?
- Standard 9 AM - 5 PM working hours overlap for about 6 hours, roughly from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in San Francisco time.
- Does daylight saving time change the difference between San Francisco and Chicago?
- Both San Francisco and Chicago observe daylight saving time. If their transition dates differ, the offset between them shifts by an hour for a few weeks each year.
Local time page
Time in San Francisco
Local time page
Time in Chicago