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Mexico • Live Time Zone Guide

Mexico Time Zone

Mexico has four official time zones: Central, Pacific, Northwest and Southeast. Their standard offsets span UTC−08:00 to UTC−05:00. Most of Mexico no longer changes clocks seasonally, but Baja California and specified northern-border municipalities still follow seasonal time rules.

Four official zones can produce only three different live offsets. During the northern-border seasonal period, Baja California can share UTC−07:00 with the Pacific Zone, while parts of Chihuahua can share UTC−06:00 with the Central Zone. That is why some current-time displays appear to show only three Mexican time zones.
Official civil zones4Centro · Pacífico · Noroeste · Sureste
Standard offset rangeUTC−08 to UTC−05Current offsets are date-aware
Seasonal clock changesBorder exceptions onlyMost of Mexico stays on standard time
See Mexico's 4 Time Zones Time Zone Converter Mexico Time Zone Map
Search a major Mexican location or open the related current-time, map, offset and daylight-saving references.
Popular: Mexico City Time Zone Cancun Time Zone Time in Mexico Mexico Time Zone Map UTC Offsets Daylight Saving Time

Mexico Time Zone at a Glance

Mexico's legal time-zone structure is simple at the national level but becomes more detailed around Nayarit and the northern border. Use these shortcuts to jump directly to the part you need.

4

Four Official Zones

See the legal Mexican zones, their standard offsets and representative locations.

View the four zones → 3

Why You May See 3 Offsets

Understand why four legal zones can collapse to three distinct live UTC offsets in part of the year.

Clear up the count → DST

Border Seasonal Time

See where clocks still change after nationwide daylight saving time ended in 2022.

Check the exceptions → MX

Time Zone by State

Find the legal zone for all 31 states and Mexico City, including Nayarit's municipal exception.

Browse states → IANA

IANA Time Zones

Use location-specific software identifiers for date-aware offsets and transition rules.

See IANA examples → ⇄

Compare Mexico Cities

Compare live times and offsets for Mexico City, Cancun, Tijuana and other key locations.

Compare live times →

Mexico's Four Official Time Zones

Mexican law establishes four civil zones. The standard offsets below describe each legal zone; the live example columns show what applies right now at a representative location.

See the boundaries on a map →
Official ZonePrimary CoverageStandard OffsetLive ExampleCurrent Offset
Zona Centro
Central Zone		Most of Mexico; Bahía de Banderas in NayaritUTC−06:00Mexico City—
Zona Pacífico
Pacific Zone		Baja California Sur, most of Nayarit, Sinaloa, SonoraUTC−07:00Hermosillo—
Zona Noroeste
Northwest Zone		Baja CaliforniaUTC−08:00Tijuana—
Zona Sureste
Southeast Zone		Quintana RooUTC−05:00Cancun—
Mexico Time Zone by State Mexico City Time Zone Cancun Time Zone

Key Mexico Time Zone Locations

These places make the national time-zone structure easier to understand: a capital on Central Time, a year-round UTC−05 destination, western standard-time examples and northern-border locations with seasonal rules.

Zona CentroMexico CityUTC−06:00 year-round under current rules.→ Zona SuresteCancunUTC−05:00 year-round in Quintana Roo.→ Zona NoroesteTijuanaBaja California with a seasonal border schedule.→ Zona PacíficoHermosilloSonora at UTC−07:00 throughout the year.→ Chihuahua BorderCiudad JuarezA Mountain-style seasonal border rule.→ Nayarit ExceptionBahía de BanderasCentral Zone inside a mostly Pacific-Zone state.→ Live Country ClocksCurrent Time in MexicoCompare current time across major Mexican locations.→ Visual BoundariesMexico Time Zone MapSee the national zones and geographic exceptions.→

Mexico Time Zone by State & Area

This table follows Mexico's legal standard zones. Seasonal northern-border exceptions are called out separately because they can change the current UTC offset without changing the underlying national zone structure.

Northern-border exceptions →
State / AreaOfficial ZoneStandard OffsetSeasonal Rule / Exception
AguascalientesZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
Baja CaliforniaZona NoroesteUTC−08:00Seasonal northern-border schedule applies statewide
Baja California SurZona PacíficoUTC−07:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
CampecheZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
ChiapasZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
ChihuahuaZona CentroUTC−06:00Eight specified northern municipalities follow seasonal border rules
CoahuilaZona CentroUTC−06:00Eleven specified northern municipalities follow seasonal border rules
ColimaZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
DurangoZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
GuanajuatoZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
GuerreroZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
HidalgoZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
JaliscoZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
Mexico CityZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
State of MexicoZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
MichoacánZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
MorelosZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
NayaritZona PacíficoUTC−07:00Bahía de Banderas is in Zona Centro at UTC−06:00
Nuevo LeónZona CentroUTC−06:00Anáhuac follows the seasonal northern-border schedule
OaxacaZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
PueblaZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
QuerétaroZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
Quintana RooZona SuresteUTC−05:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
San Luis PotosíZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
SinaloaZona PacíficoUTC−07:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
SonoraZona PacíficoUTC−07:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
TabascoZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
TamaulipasZona CentroUTC−06:00Ten specified northern municipalities follow seasonal border rules
TlaxcalaZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
VeracruzZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
YucatánZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
ZacatecasZona CentroUTC−06:00No seasonal clock change under current rules
Four Zones · Date-Aware Offsets

Why Mexico Can Show 3 Current Offsets

Mexico has four legal standard zones, but a live clock display may show only three different UTC offsets during the northern-border seasonal period. Baja California advances from UTC−08:00 to UTC−07:00, matching the Pacific Zone's standard offset. Western border municipalities in Chihuahua can move from UTC−07:00 standard time to UTC−06:00 during the seasonal period, matching the Central Zone's standard offset.

Four Official Zones Mexico DST Rules UTC Offsets Mexico Time Zone Map
Mexico CityLive timeZona Centro · loading offset
HermosilloLive timeZona Pacífico · loading offset
TijuanaLive timeZona Noroeste · loading offset
CancunLive timeZona Sureste · loading offset

Mexico Time Zones by Major City

These live examples show why using one national offset for Mexico is unreliable. The same country can have different clocks, and northern-border locations can change offset seasonally.

See current time across Mexico →
LocationIANA ZoneCurrent TimeAbbreviationCurrent UTC OffsetRule
Mexico CityAmerica/Mexico_CityLive——Year-round standard time
CancunAmerica/CancunLive——Year-round standard time
TijuanaAmerica/TijuanaLive——Northern-border seasonal schedule
HermosilloAmerica/HermosilloLive——Year-round standard time
MazatlanAmerica/MazatlanLive——Year-round standard time
Ciudad JuarezAmerica/Ciudad_JuarezLive——Northern-border seasonal schedule
OjinagaAmerica/OjinagaLive——Northern-border seasonal schedule
MatamorosAmerica/MatamorosLive——Northern-border seasonal schedule
MonterreyAmerica/MonterreyLive——City itself stays on standard time
GuadalajaraAmerica/Mexico_CityLive——Year-round standard time
Bahía de BanderasAmerica/Bahia_BanderasLive——Central-zone exception within Nayarit

Does Mexico Observe Daylight Saving Time?

Most of Mexico does not. Nationwide seasonal clock changes ended in 2022. Under current law, seasonal time remains only for Baja California and specified municipalities along the northern border so their clocks can align more closely with neighboring U.S. communities.

Most of MexicoStays on its legal standard time throughout the year.
Baja CaliforniaThe state follows the northern-border seasonal schedule.
Chihuahua border municipalitiesJanos, Ascensión, Juárez, Praxedis G. Guerrero, Guadalupe, Coyame del Sotol, Ojinaga and Manuel Benavides have specific seasonal rules.
Other northern-border municipalitiesSpecified municipalities in Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas also follow seasonal time.

Northern-Border Seasonal Schedule

The seasonal period starts at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November.

CoahuilaAcuña, Allende, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jiménez, Morelos, Nava, Ocampo, Piedras Negras, Villa Unión and Zaragoza.
Nuevo LeónAnáhuac.
TamaulipasNuevo Laredo, Guerrero, Mier, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Reynosa, Río Bravo, Valle Hermoso and Matamoros.
ChihuahuaCoyame del Sotol, Ojinaga, Manuel Benavides, Janos, Ascensión, Juárez, Praxedis G. Guerrero and Guadalupe.

Standard Time vs Seasonal Border Time

A time-zone abbreviation such as CST, MST, PST or EST describes an offset at a particular moment. For Mexico, the legal zone and the location-specific IANA identifier are more reliable than assuming an abbreviation applies nationwide.

Mexico City

CST · UTC−06:00

Mexico City remains on Central Standard Time under current rules and no longer makes a seasonal clock change.

Hermosillo

MST · UTC−07:00

Sonora remains on Mountain Standard Time throughout the year under current rules.

Cancun

EST · UTC−05:00

Quintana Roo uses the Southeast Zone at UTC−05:00 year-round and does not make a seasonal clock change.

Tijuana

PST ↔ PDT

Baja California's standard zone is UTC−08:00, but the northern-border seasonal schedule normally moves Tijuana to UTC−07:00 for part of the year.

Ciudad Juarez

MST ↔ MDT

Western northern-border municipalities in Chihuahua follow a Mountain-style seasonal pattern aligned with the neighboring U.S. border area.

Matamoros

CST ↔ CDT

Specified Tamaulipas border municipalities follow a Central-style seasonal pattern while most of the state remains on standard time.

Quick Mexico Time Zone Compare

Compare two representative Mexican locations right now. Offsets and abbreviations are calculated for the current date so northern-border seasonal changes are reflected automatically.

Live time
Current abbreviation and UTC offset
⇄
Live time
Current abbreviation and UTC offset
Open Full Converter

How Mexico's Time Zones Work

Six rules explain most Mexico time-zone questions—from the legal zones to software identifiers and the border exceptions.

01 · Law

Start with Four Official Zones

Mexico's time-zone law defines Zona Centro, Zona Pacífico, Zona Noroeste and Zona Sureste, plus geographic treatment for islands, reefs and cays.

02 · Standard Offset

Each Zone Has a Base Offset

The four standard offsets are UTC−06:00, UTC−07:00, UTC−08:00 and UTC−05:00 respectively.

03 · Exception

Nayarit Is Not Uniform

Most of Nayarit belongs to the Pacific Zone, while Bahía de Banderas follows the Central Zone.

04 · Seasonal Rule

Most of Mexico Does Not Change

Nationwide daylight saving time ended in 2022. Seasonal time remains for Baja California and specified northern-border municipalities.

05 · Current Offset

The Number of Live Offsets Can Change

Four legal zones do not guarantee four different UTC offsets at every moment because seasonal border areas can temporarily match another zone's offset.

06 · Software

Use the Correct IANA Location

America/Mexico_City is not a universal Mexico identifier. Border rules require location-specific identifiers such as America/Tijuana or America/Ciudad_Juarez.

Mexico UTC Offsets

There is no single “Mexico UTC offset.” The legal standard range is UTC−08:00 through UTC−05:00, and northern-border seasonal time makes the live offset for some places date-dependent.

UTC−08:00 standardBaja California's Northwest Zone before seasonal adjustment.
UTC−07:00 standardPacific Zone: Baja California Sur, most of Nayarit, Sinaloa and Sonora.
UTC−06:00 standardCentral Zone: most of Mexico, including Mexico City.
UTC−05:00 standardSoutheast Zone: Quintana Roo, including Cancun.
Explore UTC Offsets Convert Mexico Time
Visual Geography

See Mexico's Time Zone Boundaries

Use the Mexico Time Zone Map to see how the four legal zones divide the country and where state, municipal and northern-border exceptions matter geographically.

Open Mexico Time Zone Map World Time Zone Map
Mexico · UTC−08 → UTC−05

Looking for the Current Time in Mexico?

Time-zone rules explain which clock applies. If your main question is what time it is across Mexico right now, open the country current-time page for live clocks by major location.

Country ClockCurrent Time in Mexico CapitalCurrent Time in Mexico City Quintana RooCurrent Time in Cancun Baja CaliforniaCurrent Time in Tijuana

Sources & Methodology

Legal zone coverage and seasonal-border rules are based on Mexico's federal time-zone law and its November 2022 amendment. Live clocks, offsets and abbreviations are generated with IANA-compatible browser time-zone data for the named location rather than a single hardcoded national offset.

Diario Oficial de la Federación — Ley de los Husos Horarios, October 28, 2022 Diario Oficial de la Federación — Chihuahua amendment, November 29, 2022 Secretaría de Energía — Nationwide DST ended; northern-border exception IANA Time Zone Database — current civil-time rule data

Last reviewed: August 20, 2026 · IANA tzdb reference at review: 2026c. Government time-zone rules can change; live offset displays are calculated by location and date.

Mexico Time Zones FAQ

What time zone is Mexico in?

Mexico is not in one single time zone. It has four official civil zones: Zona Centro, Zona Pacífico, Zona Noroeste and Zona Sureste.

How many time zones does Mexico have?

Mexico has four official legal time zones. A live display may show only three different UTC offsets during part of the year because seasonal border areas can temporarily share offsets with another legal zone.

Why do some websites say Mexico has three time zones?

They may be counting distinct UTC offsets currently in use rather than Mexico's four official standard zones. The two counts answer different questions.

Does Mexico use daylight saving time?

Most of Mexico does not. Nationwide DST ended in 2022. Baja California and specified northern-border municipalities continue to follow a seasonal schedule.

What time zone is Mexico City in?

Mexico City is in Zona Centro and uses CST, UTC−06:00, throughout the year under current rules.

What time zone is Cancun in?

Cancun is in Quintana Roo's Zona Sureste and uses EST, UTC−05:00, throughout the year under current rules.

What time zone is Tijuana in?

Tijuana is in Baja California's Zona Noroeste. Its standard offset is UTC−08:00, with the northern-border seasonal schedule normally moving the city to UTC−07:00 for part of the year.

Is Nayarit all in one time zone?

No. Most of Nayarit is in Zona Pacífico at UTC−07:00 standard time, while Bahía de Banderas follows Zona Centro at UTC−06:00.

What is Mexico's UTC offset?

Mexico has several. Official standard offsets range from UTC−08:00 to UTC−05:00, with some northern-border current offsets changing seasonally.

Which IANA time zone should I use for Mexico?

Use the identifier for the actual location, such as America/Mexico_City, America/Cancun, America/Tijuana, America/Hermosillo, America/Ciudad_Juarez, America/Ojinaga or America/Matamoros.