Time in Shanghai vs Des Moines
Shanghai keeps CST (UTC+8) and Des Moines keeps CDT (UTC−5) today. Des Moines is 13 hours behind Shanghai; the rows below read both clocks live.
The working day, side by side
The working days do not meet. there is no working-hour overlap with Des Moines — the nearest workable window is 06:00–07:00 your time (17:00 there).
| City | 00:00 in Shanghai | 01:00 in Shanghai | 02:00 in Shanghai | 03:00 in Shanghai | 04:00 in Shanghai | 05:00 in Shanghai | 06:00 in Shanghai | 07:00 in Shanghai | 08:00 in Shanghai | 09:00 in Shanghai | 10:00 in Shanghai | 11:00 in Shanghai | 12:00 in Shanghai | 13:00 in Shanghai | 14:00 in Shanghai | 15:00 in Shanghai | 16:00 in Shanghai | 17:00 in Shanghai | 18:00 in Shanghai | 19:00 in Shanghai | 20:00 in Shanghai | 21:00 in Shanghai | 22:00 in Shanghai | 23:00 in Shanghai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai—— | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| Des Moines—— | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
- Working hours
- Shoulder
- Night
- Overlap
Do more with Shanghai and Des Moines
Best hours to call
there is no working-hour overlap with Des Moines — the nearest workable window is 06:00–07:00 your time (17:00 there).
Where daylight saving pulls them apart
Des Moines next changes on Sunday 1 November 2026. Between those two dates the gap between the cities is an hour different from the one shown above — which is exactly when a recurring meeting drifts. Every date we track is on the daylight saving page.
Also useful
Common questions
How many hours ahead is Des Moines of Shanghai?
Des Moines is 13 hours behind Shanghai right now. The gap is not fixed: it moves whenever either side changes its clocks.
What is the best time to call between Shanghai and Des Moines?
There is no hour inside working hours in both cities. 06:00–07:00 your time (17:00 there) is the cheapest compromise, and one side is taking a shoulder hour.
Do Shanghai and Des Moines change clocks on the same date?
Only one of them does, so the gap between them changes twice a year even though neither city moved relative to the sun.