Time difference between Vancouver and Chicago

The gap holds all year

Neither city changes its clocks — Vancouver goes forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November and Chicago goes forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November — so 2 hours is the difference in January and in July alike. That is worth knowing about this pair specifically, because most international pairs do move and a recurring meeting between them does not need checking twice a year.

About Vancouver and Chicago

Vancouver keeps the same clock as Los Angeles and Seattle and changes on the same dates. British Columbia legislated for permanent daylight saving in 2019, conditional on the US west coast doing the same, and is still waiting.

Chicago is UTC−6 in winter, the US Central zone, and the one people most often mean by an unqualified "CST" — a reading that collides with China Standard Time fourteen hours the other way.

What 2 hours actually costs you

This is an easy pair. 6 hours of the working day are shared, which is enough for a standing meeting at a time neither side has to think about. 9:00 AM–3:00 PM in Vancouver lands inside office hours at both ends.

When they can both be at their desks

Nine-to-five in both cities overlaps for 6 hours — 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in Vancouver, the same moment as 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Chicago.

Vancouver

Chicago

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How far apart Vancouver and Chicago are

The shortest path over the Earth's surface between the two is 2,853 km (1,773 miles). That is a short flight — about 3 hours 55 minutes in the air along that line.

A gap of 2 hours is small enough that most people adjust within a day or two, and short enough that it rarely disrupts a trip.

Vancouver to Chicago, hour by hour

On the usual gap of 2 hours.

Frequently asked questions