Chicago is 1 hour behind Raleigh. Raleigh uses Eastern Time (ET, UTC-5/-4) while Chicago uses Central Time (CT, UTC-6/-5). When it's 12:00 PM in Raleigh, it's 11:00 AM in Chicago.
Both cities observe daylight saving time on the same schedule, so the 1-hour difference remains constant throughout the year.
Best calling time: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Raleigh time. This corresponds to 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM in Chicago, covering full business hours.
Raleigh's Research Triangle and Chicago's business district have growing tech industry connections. Both cities are major healthcare and education centers. Direct flights connect them in about 2 hours.