Is London 5 or 6 Hours Ahead of Chicago?

By Michael Ferguson

If you’re planning a trip from Chicago to London, the time difference can be a bit confusing. Many people have the question: Is London 5 or 6 hours ahead of Chicago? The answer is actually both, depending on the time of year.

Daylight Saving Time

During Daylight Saving Time (DST), which typically runs from March to November in both cities, London is 5 hours ahead of Chicago. This means that when it’s noon in Chicago, it’s already 5 pm in London.

Standard Time

However, during Standard Time (non-DST), which runs from November to March in both cities, London is 6 hours ahead of Chicago. This means that when it’s noon in Chicago, it’s already 6 pm in London.

Why the time difference?

The reason for the time difference is due to the distance between the two cities and their placement within different time zones. Chicago is located within the Central Time Zone while London falls within the Greenwich Mean Time Zone (GMT).

Central Time Zone

The Central Time Zone (CT) covers a large portion of North America and includes cities such as Dallas, Houston, and Mexico City. It is six hours behind GMT during Standard Time and five hours behind GMT during Daylight Saving Time.

Greenwich Mean Time Zone

The Greenwich Mean Time Zone (GMT) covers Europe and parts of Africa. It is often referred to as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) and does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

  • The United Kingdom observes British Summer Time (BST) during DST.
  • This means that during DST, London is one hour ahead of GMT/BST.
  • During Standard Time, however, London reverts back to GMT.

Conclusion

In summary, the time difference between London and Chicago can be either 5 or 6 hours, depending on whether or not Daylight Saving Time is observed in both cities. It’s important to keep this in mind when planning a trip or scheduling a call with someone in a different time zone. With this knowledge, you’ll never have to worry about missing an important meeting or event due to a time zone mix-up!