Market hours · United States
Forex market hours in Chicago
Every major trading session in Chicago time (UTC−5), updated live. The busiest window, the London–New York overlap, runs from 07:00 to 11:00 local time.
Times shown in Chicago time.
Sydney
Tokyo
London
New York
The trading day in Chicago
Session hours across a 24-hour day in Chicago local time.
Weekly open and close
Spot forex trades from Sunday to Friday, 17:00 New York time.
| Market opens | Sunday 16:00 |
| Market closes | Friday 16:00 |
| Daily rollover | 16:00 |
Winter vs summer
Chicago changes its clocks, as do the main centres.
| Session | January | July |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 14:00–23:00 | 16:00–01:00 |
| Tokyo | 18:00–03:00 | 19:00–04:00 |
| London | 02:00–11:00 | 02:00–11:00 |
| New York | 07:00–16:00 | 07:00–16:00 |
Best hours for popular pairs in Chicago
The three-hour window in which each pair has moved most on average over the last year, converted to Chicago time.
Trading forex from Chicago
From Chicago, the New York session falls closest to the middle of your day, and the London–New York overlap runs 07:00–11:00. Most of the day’s movement in EUR, GBP and USD pairs happens during London and New York hours, while JPY, AUD and NZD pairs are relatively more active during Tokyo and Sydney hours.
Read our guide to forex trading sessions to understand what drives each session, and check the market pages for each pair’s hour-by-hour volatility.
FAQ
What time does the forex market open in Chicago?
The forex week opens on Sunday 16:00 Chicago time (17:00 Sunday in New York) and closes on Friday 16:00 (17:00 Friday in New York). In between it trades around the clock.
What is the best time to trade forex in Chicago?
For most major pairs it is the London–New York overlap, which currently runs from 07:00 to 11:00 in Chicago. Liquidity is highest and spreads are usually tightest then.
When does the London session open in Chicago?
The London session currently runs from 02:00 to 11:00 Chicago time.
Do forex hours change in Chicago during the year?
Yes. Chicago observes daylight saving time, and so do London, New York and Sydney on different dates, so session times shift by an hour at several points in the year. The table on this page shows winter and summer times.
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