Mexico time now, live flip clock
Mexico's four time zones are Northwest, PST, UTC-8; Pacific, MST, UTC-7; Central, CST, UTC-6; and Southeast, EST, UTC-5. Most of the country no longer changes its clocks. The main clock shows Mexico City. Pick another zone above to move it.
Time zones in Mexico
The table gives each zone's standard time and the border towns that still change their clocks with the United States. The buttons under the clock move the main clock to any of them.
| Time zone | Standard time | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest zoneTijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Rosarito | PST, UTC-8 | PDT, UTC-7 |
| Pacific zoneHermosillo, Culiacán, Mazatlán, Tepic | MST, UTC-7 | MDT, UTC-6Only in Ciudad Juárez |
| Central zoneMexico City, Iztapalapa, Puebla, Ecatepec de Morelos | CST, UTC-6 | CDT, UTC-5Only in Reynosa and Ojinaga |
| Southeast zoneCancún, Chetumal, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel | EST, UTC-5 | Not observed |
Current time in major Mexican cities
The local time now in the cities people ask about most, border towns included. Pick a city to put it on the main clock.
When the clocks change in Mexico
Only the northern border still changes its clocks. That means Baja California and the border towns, among them Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros. The rest of Mexico, Mexico City included, stays on standard time all year. So the dates below are the border's.
Sunday 1 November 2026
2:00 AMto1:00 AM
Sunday 14 March 2027
2:00 AMto3:00 AM
How many hours ahead or behind Mexico City
On 7 October 2026, Los Angeles is 1 hour behind Mexico City.
| City | Difference from Mexico City |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1 hour behind |
| Chicago | 1 hour ahead |
| New York | 2 hours ahead |
| Bogota | 1 hour ahead |
| Sao Paulo | 3 hours ahead |
| London | 7 hours ahead |
| Madrid | 8 hours ahead |
| Your time zone | Detected after this page loads |
Where the rules differ in Mexico
- Summer time, now only on the border
- 0
- Under the Time Zones Law, most of Mexico no longer changes its clocks. Only the northern border keeps a seasonal time. It runs on the same dates as the United States. So twin cities such as Tijuana and San Diego stay in step all year.
- The northern border
- 2
- Baja California and a string of border municipalities in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas still move their clocks. They include Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros. Clocks go forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.
- Quintana Roo, an hour ahead
- EST
- Quintana Roo moved its clocks forward an hour, to the Southeast zone. The aim was to favour tourism and compete with other Caribbean destinations. It was also meant to cut connection times with airports in Canada and the United States. Cancún and Playa del Carmen now keep EST, UTC-5 all year.
- Sonora
- MST
- Sonora had already stopped changing its clocks before the national law. The national timekeeper listed it with Quintana Roo as the two states without summer time. It keeps MST, UTC-7 all year, the same time as neighbouring Arizona.
Questions about time in Mexico
How many time zones does Mexico have?
Four, by law. The Northwest zone, PST, UTC-8, covers Baja California. The Pacific zone, MST, UTC-7, covers Baja California Sur, most of Nayarit, Sinaloa and Sonora. The Central zone, CST, UTC-6, covers most of the country. The Southeast zone, EST, UTC-5, covers Quintana Roo.
Does Mexico still have daylight saving time?
Only along the northern border. The Time Zones Law ended seasonal clock changes for most of Mexico. Baja California and a string of border municipalities still move their clocks with the United States. They go forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.
What time zone is Mexico City in?
Mexico City keeps the Central zone, CST, UTC-6. It no longer changes its clocks for summer. Guadalajara, Monterrey and Puebla share its time. The official time is generated, kept and sent out by CENAM, the National Metrology Centre.
What is the time difference between Mexico City and the US?
Mexico City is 1 hour behind New York in winter. In summer it is two hours behind. New York moves its clocks forward then, and Mexico City does not. Los Angeles is 2 hours behind Mexico City in winter and one hour behind in summer.
Is Cancún on the same time as Mexico City?
No. Cancún is in Quintana Roo, on the Southeast zone, EST, UTC-5. It is an hour ahead of Mexico City all year. Neither city changes its clocks. Travellers flying from Mexico City to Cancún set their watches forward by one hour.
Time zone names for developers
| IANA zone | Standard time | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|---|
| America/Tijuana | PST, UTC-8 | Yes |
| America/Ciudad_Juarez | MST, UTC-7 | Yes |
| America/Hermosillo | MST, UTC-7 | No |
| America/Mazatlan | MST, UTC-7 | No |
| America/Bahia_Banderas | CST, UTC-6 | No |
| America/Chihuahua | CST, UTC-6 | No |
| America/Matamoros | CST, UTC-6 | Yes |
| America/Merida | CST, UTC-6 | No |
| America/Mexico_City | CST, UTC-6 | No |
| America/Monterrey | CST, UTC-6 | No |
| America/Ojinaga | CST, UTC-6 | Yes |
| America/Cancun | EST, UTC-5 | No |
Sources
We checked each fact on this page against these sources on 30 September 2026. Times, offsets and clock changes come from the time zone database.