What You'll Learn
When CME Globex is open for standard trading, and when the daily maintenance break occurs
Trading hours by product category, including the current schedule for cryptocurrency futures
How holiday schedules can affect trading hours
How to check whether a specific market is open right now in TopstepX
This guide helps you quickly see when each futures market is open so you know when you can place trades in Topstep Brokerage.
All times are listed in Central Time (CT).
CME Group Globex, the electronic trading platform for CME futures, operates nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week.
Standard session: Sunday 5:00 PM CT through Friday 4:00 PM CT
Daily maintenance break: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT (most products)
During the maintenance break, trading is paused and new orders are not processed.
Trading Hours by Product Category
Product Category | Trading Hours (CT) |
Equity Futures (ES, NQ, RTY, YM, etc.) | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Interest Rate Futures (ZN, ZB, ZF, etc.) | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Energy Futures (CL, NG, RB, HO, etc.) | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Metals Futures (GC, SI, HG, etc.) | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
FX Futures (6E, 6B, 6J, etc.) | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Cryptocurrency Futures (MBT, MET) | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Single Stock Futures / Micro Single Stock Futures (SSF; e.g., SAAPL, XAAPL) — pending launch | Sun–Fri 5:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
CBOT Agricultural (ZC, ZW, ZS, ZM, ZL) | Sun–Mon 7:00 PM – 7:45 AM; Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 1:20 PM |
CME Agricultural (HE, LE) | Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 1:05 PM |
Note: CBOT Agricultural products have a daily trading pause Mon–Fri from 7:45 AM – 8:30 AM CT.
Special Product Hours
Some products have hours that differ from the “most markets” schedule above.
CBOT Agricultural Futures (Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, Soybean Meal, Soybean Oil):
Sunday–Monday: 7:00 PM – 7:45 AM CT
Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM – 1:20 PM CT
Daily pause Mon–Fri: 7:45 AM – 8:30 AM CT (no orders accepted during this window)
CME Agricultural Futures (Live Cattle, Lean Hogs):
Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM – 1:05 PM CT
Single Stock Futures (SSF) and Micro SSF
Standard session: Sunday 5:00 PM – Friday 4:00 PM CT, the same standard schedule as Equity Futures.
Quarterly expiration (March, June, September, December): trading in the expiring contract ends at 4:00 PM ET (3:00 PM CT) on the third Friday of the contract month
Contract list and specifications are subject to change pending regulatory approval
Holiday Hours
CME adjusts trading hours around US holidays. Schedules vary by product and holiday. Always verify hours before trading on or around a holiday.
Check the CME Group Trading Hours Calendar for today's specific schedule and any holiday closures.
Checking Market Status in TopstepX
TopstepX displays real-time market status for each product using CME color codes in the product drop-down menus. Hover over any product to see its current state.
Color | Market State |
🟢 Green | Open |
🔵 Blue | Pre-Open |
🟠 Orange | Paused |
🔴 Red | Closed |
FAQ
What time zone are these hours shown in?
All hours in this article are listed in Central Time (CT).
Can I place new orders during the daily maintenance break?
No — trading is paused and new orders are not processed during the maintenance window.
How do I know if a specific market is open right now?
Check the color-coded status indicator next to the product in TopstepX (see the table above).
If you have questions about trading hours for a specific product, please contact our Support Team for assistance.