Time Difference Between Chicago and Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 2 hours behind Chicago.
Los Angeles is 2 hours behind Chicago. When it is 9:00 AM in Chicago, it is 7:00 AM in Los Angeles.
What time is it in Los Angeles?
For a given hour in Chicago, here’s the matching local time in Los Angeles. Highlighted rows fall within Los Angeles’s working hours (9 AM–5 PM) — the easiest times to reach someone.
| Chicago | Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 10:00 PM the previous day |
| 3:00 AM | 1:00 AM |
| 6:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 7:00 AM |
| 12:00 PM | 10:00 AMworking hours |
| 3:00 PM | 1:00 PMworking hours |
| 6:00 PM | 4:00 PMworking hours |
| 9:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
How far apart are Chicago and Los Angeles?
Los Angeles (United States) runs 2 hours behind Chicago (United States). In practical terms, the working day in Los Angeles starts while Chicago is already well into the afternoon or evening, which is what makes scheduling between the two take a little planning.
Best time to schedule a call or meeting
The comfortable window — when both cities are inside normal 9-to-5 hours — runs from about 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Chicago time, roughly 6 hours. Schedule calls inside that band and neither side is working unsocial hours.
A note on daylight saving
Both Chicago and Los Angeles observe daylight saving in the same direction, so the difference is normally the same in summer and winter. They change their clocks on slightly different dates, though, so for a week or two each spring and autumn the gap can be an hour off — worth double-checking around those changeovers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Los Angeles is 2 hours behind Chicago. When it is 9:00 AM in Chicago, it is 7:00 AM in Los Angeles.