| Country: | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Long Name: | United Mexican States |
| Abbreviations: | MX, MEX |
| Capital: | Mexico City |
| Time Zones: | 3 |
| Dial Code: | +52 |
Time Zones Currently Being Used in Mexico
| Offset | Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Example City | Current Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC -7 | PDT | Pacific Daylight Time | Tijuana | Thu, 4:31:38 am |
| MST | Mountain Standard Time | Hermosillo | Thu, 4:31:38 am | |
| UTC -6 | MDT | Mountain Daylight Time | Mazatlan | Thu, 5:31:38 am |
| UTC -5 | CDT | Central Daylight Time | Mexico City | Thu, 6:31:38 am |
| EST | Eastern Standard Time | Cancún | Thu, 6:31:38 am | |
How Many Time Zones Are There in Mexico?
With its varying Daylight Saving Time (DST) schedules, Mexico's time zone situation frequently causes confusion. The country has 4 standard time zones, which mirror the time zones in the contiguous United States. There are 3 corresponding DST time zones.
The central and most of the eastern parts of the country, including its capital Mexico City, observe Central Standard Time (Zona Centro). Most of western Mexico, including the states of Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Sonora, use Mountain Standard Time (Zona Pacífico).
These 2 areas, covering nearly all of Mexico, are flanked by much smaller time zones in the country's far east and far west. The state of Baja California, bordering California and the Pacific Ocean, is on Pacific Standard Time (Zona Noroeste); Quintana Roo, Mexico's easternmost state, observes Eastern Standard Time (Zona Sureste).
Generalized Time Zones in Mexico
| Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Offset | Current Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT | Pacific Time | UTC -8:00 / -7:00 | Thu, 4:31:38 am |
| MT | Mountain Time | UTC -7:00 / -6:00 | Thu, 5:31:38 am |
| CT | Central Time | UTC -6:00 / -5:00 | Thu, 6:31:38 am |
Like in the US, Mexico's time zones are often referred to by their generic name, without making a difference between standard time and Daylight Saving Time designations. For example, Central Time (CT) refers to Central Standard Time (CST) or Central Daylight Time (CDT), depending on which is currently in use.
Note: Local time in these time zones changes when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends.
Time Zones Not Currently Being Observed in Mexico
| Offset | Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Commences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC -8 | PST | Pacific Standard Time | Nov 7, 2021 |
| UTC -6 | CST | Central Standard Time | Oct 31, 2021 |
The above time zones are used during other parts of the year. They will become active again after the next clock change as Daylight Saving Time begins or ends.
Time Zone History of Mexico
In Mexico, standard time was introduced in 1922. Until then, each location in the country had been using solar mean time, based on its longitude. In Mexico City, it was 6 hours, 36 minutes, and 36 seconds behind GMT, then the world's time standard.
In 1922, Mexico turned its clocks back by 23 minutes and 24 seconds, so the local time was exactly 7 hours behind GMT. In 1928, clocks in Mexico's capital city were advanced by 1 hour to CST, the time zone it still observes as standard time today.
At first, Mexico was divided into only 2 time zones. The number increased over the years. Quintana Roo's switch to Eastern Standard Time (EST) in 2015 constituted the latest addition.
Time Zone News
- 12/18/2019 – End of DST in Europe 2019
More Information
- Time Zone Converter
- Meeting Planner
- Event Time Announcer/Fixed Time
- Time Zone Abbreviations
- Time Zone News
- Daylight Saving Time
Time Zone Map
