Detroit is 1 hour ahead of Chicago. Chicago uses Central Time (CT, UTC-6/-5) while Detroit uses Eastern Time (ET, UTC-5/-4). When it's 12:00 PM in Chicago, it's 1:00 PM in Detroit.
Both cities observe daylight saving time on the same schedule, so the 1-hour difference remains constant year-round.
Best calling time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Chicago time. This corresponds to 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM in Detroit, covering standard business hours.
Chicago and Detroit are neighboring Great Lakes cities with strong ties in automotive, manufacturing, and finance. The drive between them is about 4-5 hours. Both cities have significant manufacturing heritage and are working to diversify into tech and services.