Toronto is 1 hour ahead of Chicago. Toronto uses Eastern Time (ET, UTC-5/-4) while Chicago uses Central Time (CT, UTC-6/-5). When it's 12:00 PM in Chicago, it's 1:00 PM in Toronto.
Both cities observe daylight saving time on the same schedule, so the 1-hour difference remains constant year-round.
Best calling time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Toronto time. This corresponds to 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM in Chicago, covering standard Midwest business hours.
Toronto and Chicago are major cities in the Great Lakes region, separated by about 800 km. Both are major financial and business centers with strong cross-border trade. The 1-hour time difference makes same-day collaboration very convenient.