Chronic psychosocial stress is a major etiological risk factor for major depressive disorder. Preclinical studies have shown that chronic stress can suppress adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG). The primary goal of the present study was to test whether chronic stress and cortisol level translate into detectable changes in DG in humans. We recruited 55 participants without a history of psychiatric disorders. Clinical symptoms, perceived stress, and chronic stressors were rated on the Mood & Anxiety Disorders Symptom Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, and Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS). Salivary cortisol samples were collected over the course of one day to estimate diurnal cortisol levels. 40 participants completed a high-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging 3 Tesla scan. DG and cornu ammonis (CA1-3) subfields were manually measured using reliable volumetric protocols. In participants with low chronic stress level (TICS<23), levels of perceived stress, chronic stress, general distress, and depression severity positively correlated with cortisol level at 8 hours (all ps>0.012). In participants with high chronic stress level (TICS>24), the chronic stress level correlated positively with cortisol changes at 4 hours from the baseline (p<0.01). In the overall sample CA1-3 subfield volumes negatively correlated with cortisol changes at 4 (p=0.016) and 8 (p=0.036) hours from the baseline. Both chronic stress level and depression severity were not directly related to DG or CA1-3 subfield volumes. However, higher perceived stress level was linked to smaller DG volumes (p=0.021). These results provide the first link between preclinical stress models and chronic psychological stress in humans.