CST vs CDT: What's the Difference and When Does Houston Switch?

Houston uses two time designations throughout the year:

• CST (Central Standard Time): UTC−6:00. Used from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March. Clocks "fall back" one hour.
• CDT (Central Daylight Time): UTC−5:00. Used from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Clocks "spring forward" one hour.

The one-hour difference means that when it's 12:00 PM CST, it would be 1:00 PM CDT. Houston spends approximately 238 days on CDT and 127 days on CST each year — daylight saving is the majority of the year.

In 2026, Houston switches as follows:

• Spring Forward: Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 AM → clocks move to 3:00 AM (CST → CDT)
• Fall Back: Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:00 AM → clocks move to 1:00 AM (CDT → CST)

The switch always happens at 2:00 AM local time to minimize disruption to business and daily life.

Daylight Saving Time was introduced to make better use of daylight hours. By moving clocks forward in spring, evenings get an extra hour of sunlight. The trade-off is darker mornings.

For Houston, DST means summer sunsets around 8:20 PM CDT instead of 7:20 PM. Given Houston's hot climate, many residents appreciate the extra evening daylight for outdoor activities when temperatures are slightly cooler.

Not everyone agrees, though. The biannual clock change has been linked to increased traffic accidents, sleep disruption, and scheduling confusion. Several states have moved to abolish the practice.

The simplest rule: Houston is on CDT from mid-March through early November, and CST the rest of the year. If it's summer, it's CDT. If it's deep winter, it's CST.

For precision, use our live clock which always displays the correct abbreviation, or check the Daylight Saving page for exact transition dates through 2031.

When in doubt, use "CT" (Central Time) — this is timezone-aware and automatically refers to whichever offset is currently active.