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Colorado • Live Time-Zone Reference

Colorado Time Zone

Colorado is in the Mountain Time Zone (MT) statewide. Colorado uses Mountain Standard Time (MST) at UTC−07:00 during standard time and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) at UTC−06:00 while daylight saving time is in effect.

Quick answer: Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder, Pueblo, mountain resorts and every other Colorado community share the same official Mountain Time clock. The abbreviation changes between MST and MDT during the year, but Colorado does not contain an internal time-zone boundary.
Time zoneMountain TimeMT statewide
Standard timeMSTUTC−07:00
Daylight timeMDTUTC−06:00
Colorado Time Zone at a Glance Mountain Time Zone Current Time in Colorado
Search a Colorado city, nearby state, Mountain Time abbreviation or UTC offset.
Popular: U.S. Time Zones Mountain Time MST MDT Denver Montana New Mexico Daylight Saving Time

Colorado Time Zone at a Glance

Colorado is a single-zone state. These references cover the statewide Mountain Time rule, current MST/MDT status, daylight-saving changes, conversion tools and the most important Colorado clock questions.

MT

Mountain Time in Colorado

Colorado follows Mountain Time statewide, from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope and from the Wyoming border to New Mexico.

Mountain Time details → MST

Mountain Standard Time

During standard time, Colorado uses MST at UTC−07:00.

MST details → MDT

Mountain Daylight Time

During daylight saving time, Colorado uses MDT at UTC−06:00.

MDT details → DST

Colorado Daylight Saving Time

Colorado currently changes clocks in March and November under the U.S. daylight-saving schedule.

See DST rules → ◷

Current Time in Colorado

Open the statewide current-time page when your main question is what time it is in Colorado right now.

See Colorado time now → ⇄

Colorado Time Converter

Convert Colorado Mountain Time to another U.S. or world location for a specific date and time.

Convert Colorado time →

Colorado Time Zone by Major City

Colorado has no internal time-zone split. Major cities throughout the state use the same Mountain Time rules, abbreviation and UTC offset on the same date.

Current time across Colorado →
Colorado LocationCurrent TimeCurrent AbbreviationCurrent UTC OffsetTime-Zone Guide
DenverLive——Denver Time Zone
Colorado SpringsLive——Colorado statewide reference
Fort CollinsLive——Colorado statewide reference
BoulderLive——Colorado statewide reference
PuebloLive——Colorado statewide reference
AspenLive——Colorado statewide reference
Mountain Time ZoneMST Time NowMDT Time Now

Colorado Time-Zone Guides & Nearby References

Go deeper on Colorado’s Mountain Time rules, compare neighboring states, or open the city-specific Denver time-zone guide.

All U.S. time zones →
Colorado cityDenverMountain Time · MST/MDT.→Statewide guideColoradoOne official Mountain Time zone statewide.→Zone familyMountain TimeThe umbrella zone used throughout Colorado.→Standard-time clockMSTUTC−07:00 during standard time.→Daylight-time clockMDTUTC−06:00 during daylight saving time.→Related stateMontanaMountain Time reference to the north.→Neighboring stateNew MexicoMountain Time reference south of Colorado.→Live statewide timeCurrent Time in ColoradoLive Colorado clock and date.→Colorado city clockColorado SpringsCurrent local time in Colorado Springs.→Visual referenceU.S. Time Zone MapSee Colorado inside the Mountain zone.→Zone mapMountain Time Zone MapExplore Mountain Time geography.→U.S. directoryU.S. Time ZonesAll states, major zones and exceptions.→
Colorado Mountain Time

Mountain Time in Colorado Now

Colorado uses one statewide Mountain Time clock. The abbreviation and UTC offset change with the daylight-saving season, while the IANA location rule stays America/Denver.

Mountain TimeMSTMDTUTC OffsetsDST
Colorado · Mountain TimeLive timeAmerica/Denver · current abbreviation and offset
Most of ArizonaLive timeAmerica/Phoenix · MST · UTC−07:00
UTC ReferenceLive timeCoordinated Universal Time · UTC+00:00
Colorado–Arizona DifferenceDate-awareSame on MST; Colorado +1 hour on MDT.

Colorado UTC Offset: MST vs MDT

Colorado has one time zone, but two seasonal UTC offsets. The correct offset depends on the date.

Explore UTC offsets →
Colorado PeriodIANA ZoneAbbreviationUTC OffsetWhat Happens
Standard TimeAmerica/DenverMSTUTC−07:00Colorado is seven hours behind UTC.
Daylight Saving TimeAmerica/DenverMDTUTC−06:00Colorado advances one hour.
Colorado right nowAmerica/Denver——Live

Colorado Standard Time vs Daylight Time

Colorado currently follows the seasonal U.S. daylight-saving schedule. The state remains in Mountain Time year-round, but the fixed abbreviation and UTC offset change.

Daylight Saving Time guide →
Colorado TimeAbbreviationUTC Offset2026 StatusClock Action
Mountain Standard Time periodMSTUTC−07:00Before Mar 8 and from Nov 1Standard clock
Mountain Daylight Time periodMDTUTC−06:00Mar 8 through Nov 1Clock advanced one hour
Colorado DST RulesWhen DST StartsWhen DST EndsDST by State

Compare Colorado Time

Compare Colorado with Arizona or another major U.S. or world location. The live comparison uses current UTC offsets, so seasonal differences update automatically.

Live time
Current abbreviation and UTC offset
Live time
Current abbreviation and UTC offset
Open Full ConverterTime Zone Difference

How Colorado Time Works

Six facts explain the state’s time-zone rules, seasonal abbreviations and the common Colorado–Arizona confusion.

01 · Statewide

Colorado Uses Mountain Time

Colorado is a single-zone state. Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder, Pueblo and the rest of the state share one official clock.

02 · Standard Time

MST Means UTC−07:00

During standard time, Colorado uses Mountain Standard Time, seven hours behind UTC.

03 · Daylight Time

MDT Means UTC−06:00

During daylight saving time, Colorado advances one hour and uses Mountain Daylight Time.

04 · IANA

America/Denver Carries the Rules

The IANA location zone stores Colorado’s historical and seasonal Mountain Time transitions so software can calculate the right offset for a date.

05 · Arizona

Same Clock, Different Zone Rules

Colorado and most of Arizona match when Colorado is on MST at UTC−07:00. During Colorado daylight saving time, Colorado moves to MDT at UTC−06:00 and becomes one hour ahead.

06 · DST Policy

HB22-1297 Is Conditional

Colorado enacted a conditional path to year-round daylight saving time, but the required federal and multi-state conditions have not made it the current operating rule.

Does Colorado Have More Than One Time Zone?

No. Colorado uses Mountain Time statewide. Unlike several U.S. states that are split by federal time-zone boundaries, Colorado has no internal Central–Mountain or Mountain–Pacific divide. Denver, the Front Range, the Western Slope, mountain towns and the Eastern Plains all share the same official civil time.

Denver & the Front RangeDenver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Boulder use Mountain Time.
Western Slope & mountain resortsGrand Junction, Aspen, Vail, Telluride and other western Colorado communities use the same Mountain Time clock.
Eastern PlainsPueblo and communities toward the Kansas and Nebraska borders remain in Mountain Time; crossing Colorado itself does not change the official time zone.
See Colorado on the U.S. Time Zone MapDenver Time Zone

Is Colorado Switching to Permanent Daylight Saving Time?

Not under the current operating rules. Colorado HB22-1297 became law in 2022, but its year-round daylight-saving provision is conditional. It takes effect only if federal law authorizes states to remain on daylight saving time year-round and at least four other states in the Mountain Standard Time zone, in addition to Colorado, enact comparable legislation.

Until those conditions are satisfied, Colorado continues to use Mountain Standard Time in the standard-time season and Mountain Daylight Time during the federal daylight-saving period. CalendarHours therefore calculates the active abbreviation and UTC offset from date-aware IANA rules rather than assuming permanent MDT.

Current Daylight Saving Time RulesDaylight Saving Time by StateIs Daylight Saving Time Ending?Time Zone Chart
Visual Geography

Colorado on the U.S. Time Zone Map

Colorado is entirely within Mountain Time, so there is no internal state time-zone boundary to map. Use the U.S. map to see Colorado’s place in the national zone system, or the Mountain Time map to explore the broader zone geography.

U.S. Time Zone MapMountain Time Zone MapTime Zone Map

Looking for the Current Time in Colorado?

This page explains Colorado’s time zone, UTC offset, MST/MDT abbreviations and daylight-saving rules. If your main question is what time it is in Colorado right now, open the statewide current-time page or a city clock below.

Statewide current timeCurrent Time in Colorado
Denver clockCurrent Time in Denver
Colorado Springs clockCurrent Time in Colorado Springs
Time-zone referenceMountain Time Zone

Sources & Methodology

CalendarHours uses location-aware, date-aware time-zone logic rather than permanently hardcoding Colorado as MST or MDT. America/Denver is the IANA zone used to calculate Colorado Mountain Time transitions and the current UTC offset.

The IANA Time Zone Database is the primary rules source for civil offsets and transitions. The latest IANA release verified for this page is tzdb 2026c, released July 8, 2026. U.S. daylight-saving dates are checked against NIST; federal time-zone boundaries are checked against 49 CFR Part 71; and Colorado’s conditional year-round daylight-saving law is checked against HB22-1297 from the Colorado General Assembly.

IANA — Time Zone DatabaseeCFR — 49 CFR Part 71, Standard Time Zone BoundariesNIST — Daylight Saving Time RulesColorado General Assembly — HB22-1297Time.gov — Official U.S. Time

Reviewed August 19, 2026. This URL is evergreen; live time, active MST/MDT abbreviation and UTC offset update automatically from supported browser time-zone data.

Colorado Time Zone FAQ

What time zone is Colorado in?

Colorado is in the Mountain Time Zone. It uses Mountain Standard Time (MST), UTC−07:00, during standard time and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), UTC−06:00, during daylight saving time.

Is Colorado MST or MDT right now?

Colorado uses MST during standard time and MDT during daylight saving time. The active abbreviation depends on the date; the live clock on this page calculates it from America/Denver.

Does all of Colorado use the same time zone?

Yes. Colorado uses Mountain Time statewide, so Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder, Pueblo and the rest of the state share the same official civil time.

What is the UTC offset in Colorado?

Colorado is UTC−07:00 during Mountain Standard Time and UTC−06:00 during Mountain Daylight Time.

Does Colorado observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Colorado currently observes daylight saving time. In 2026, DST runs from March 8 at 2:00 a.m. local time to November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Why are Colorado and Arizona sometimes the same time?

Most of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time at UTC−07:00 all year. Colorado is also UTC−07:00 during MST, so their clocks match then. During Colorado daylight saving time, Colorado moves to MDT at UTC−06:00 and is one hour ahead of most of Arizona.

What IANA time zone does Colorado use?

America/Denver is the standard IANA time-zone identifier used to represent Colorado Mountain Time rules and historical transitions.

Is Colorado moving to permanent daylight saving time?

Colorado law HB22-1297 provides for year-round daylight saving time only if federal law authorizes it and at least four other states in the Mountain Standard Time zone, in addition to Colorado, enact comparable legislation. Until those conditions are satisfied, Colorado continues seasonal clock changes.

Is Denver the same time as Colorado Springs?

Yes. Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder and Pueblo all use Mountain Time and share the same official clock.

When do Colorado clocks change in 2026?

In 2026, Colorado moved from MST to MDT on March 8 at 2:00 a.m. local time and returns from MDT to MST on November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time.