Washington D.C. zone
EDT (GMT-4)
Chicago zone
CDT (GMT-5)
Difference
1 hour behind Washington D.C.
Business overlap
7h (9-5 windows)
Working hours overlap
Each cell is one hour in Washington D.C.. Filled cells mark when 9 AM – 5 PM in Washington D.C. and Chicago both apply.
7 hours per day
- Washington D.C.
- GMT-4
- Chicago
- GMT-5
- Difference
- -1h
- Business overlap
- 7h
Hour-by-hour conversion
Each row shows the matching local time in Chicago for an hour in Washington D.C..
| Washington D.C. | Chicago | Day | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM | previous day | — |
| 1:00 AM | 12:00 AM | same day | — |
| 2:00 AM | 1:00 AM | same day | — |
| 3:00 AM | 2:00 AM | same day | — |
| 4:00 AM | 3:00 AM | same day | — |
| 5:00 AM | 4:00 AM | same day | — |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM | same day | — |
| 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM | same day | — |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day | — |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day | — |
| 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM | same day | Both 9-5 |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day | — |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | same day | — |
| 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | same day | — |
| 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | same day | — |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | same day | — |
| 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM | same day | — |
| 11:00 PM | 10:00 PM | same day | — |
Best meeting windows
If both teams keep standard 9 AM – 5 PM hours, the overlap window is roughly 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM in Washington D.C. time. That gives you 7 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 Washington D.C. time to Chicago time
Washington D.C. follows the America/New_York time zone (currently EDT, GMT-4), while Chicago follows America/Chicago (currently CDT, GMT-5). Chicago is 1 hour behind Washington D.C. 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
Washington D.C.
- 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 Washington D.C.
Open the converter
Plan a meeting between Washington D.C. and Chicago
More conversions from Washington D.C.
Frequently asked questions
- How many hours is Washington D.C. from Chicago?
- Chicago is 1 hour behind Washington D.C. right now.
- What time is 9:00 AM Washington D.C. in Chicago?
- 9:00 AM in Washington D.C. is 8:00 AM in Chicago.
- What time is 5:00 PM Washington D.C. in Chicago?
- 5:00 PM in Washington D.C. is 4:00 PM in Chicago.
- When do Washington D.C. and Chicago business hours overlap?
- Standard 9 AM - 5 PM working hours overlap for about 7 hours, roughly from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Washington D.C. time.
- Does daylight saving time change the difference between Washington D.C. and Chicago?
- Both Washington D.C. 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 Washington D.C.
Local time page
Time in Chicago