Daylight Saving Time in Mexico
* The Mexico Senate approved a law to end the use of daylight saving time in most of Mexico. Mexico did not resume the usage of daylight saving time as in April of 2023. Instead the country remained on standard time year round. The ten Mexico municipalities which share a border with the United States continue to observe a daylight light saving time pattern consistent with the United States. Also Chihuahua has announced that effective 10/30/2022 the state will observe GMT/UTC - 6h year round.
Previous to the law ending the use of daylight saving time in 2023 most of Mexico began daylight saving time at 2:00 a.m. local time on the first Sunday in April. On the last Sunday in October areas on Daylight Saving Time fell back to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. The names and abbreviations frequently used to indicate the current local time in each time zone change along with Daylight Saving Time. Central Standard Time (CST) becomes Central Daylight Time (CDT), and so forth. The states of Sonora and Quintana Roo do not observe Daylight Saving Time.
Mexico Daylight Saving Time Start and End Dates
Year | DST Begins at 2 a.m. | DST Ends at 2 a.m. |
2024 | No daylight saving time | No daylight saving time |
2023 | No daylight saving time | No daylight saving time |
2022 | April 3 | October 30 |
2021 | April 4 | October 31 |
2020 | April 5 | October 25 |
2019 | April 7 | October 27 |
2018 | April 1 | October 28 |
2017 | April 2 | October 29 |
2016 | April 3 | October 30 |
2015 | April 5 | October 25 |
2014 | April 6 | October 26 |
2013 | April 7 | October 27 |
2012 | April 1 | October 28 |
2011 | April 3 | October 30 |
2010 | April 4 | October 31 |
Exceptions: State of Sonora and some municipalities along the northern border |
Ten northern border municipalities Acuna, Anahuac, Juarez, Matamoros, Mexicali, Nuevo Laredo, Ojinaga, Piedras Negras, Reynosa, and Tijuana officially observe the same DST schedule as the United States. Other nearby municipalities and towns are unofficially observing this schedule. | ||
Year | DST Begins at 2 a.m. | DST Ends at 2 a.m. |
2024 | March 10 | November 3 | 2023 | March 12 | November 5 |
2022 | March 13 | November 6 |
2021 | March 14 | November 7 |
2020 | March 8 | November 1 |
2019 | March 10 | November 3 |
2018 | March 11 | November 4 |
2017 | March 12 | November 5 |
2016 | March 13 | November 6 |
2015 | March 08 | November 1 |
2014 | March 09 | November 2 |
2013 | March 10 | November 3 |
2012 | March 11 | November 4 |
2011 | March 13 | November 6 |
2010 | March 14 | November 7 |
In 2010 ten Mexico municipalities which share a border with the United States began a pattern of starting daylight saving time three weeks earlier on the second Sunday in March and ending on the first Sunday in November. Previously all of Mexico, with the exception of the state of Sonora which does not observe daylight saving time, began and ended daylight saving time at the same time. The Congress of Mexico passed legislation in December 2009 which allowed these ten border cities to adopt a daylight saving time pattern consistent with the United States. The municipalities which are now permitted by law to observe daylight saving time consistent with the United States are:
City, State
Acuna, Coahuila
Anahuac, Nuevo Leon
Juarez, Chihuahua* See note below
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Mexicali, Baja California
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Ojinaga, Chihuahua* See note below
Piedras Negras, Coahuila
Reynosa, Tamaulipas
Tijuana, Baja California
Important Note: Chihuahua has announced that effective 10/30/2022 the state will observe GMT/UTC - 6h year round. It is not yet clear if the cities of Juarez and Ojinaga will continue to observe daylight saving time consistent with the United States.
This change in daylight saving time observance was requested by local governments and political leaders to help facilitate commerce with the United States. Industries such as transportation and banking were especially affected by the differences in daylight saving time. In some cases businesses had to to open an hour early than usual to conduct business with US companies during the 3 weeks in March when the two countries were on different times.
Since 2010 other smaller municipalities and towns near the border with the United States have begun to unofficially observing daylight saving time consistent with the United States . The chart below indicates municipalities that are officially and unofficially observing daylight saving time consistent with the United States.
The observation of daylight saving time for municipalities observing daylight saving time consistent with the United States begins at 2:00 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March. On the first Sunday in November these areas will return to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. local time.
Mexico Border Towns - Current Times
Municipality | State | Current Time | |
Acuna * | Coahuila | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Anahuac * | Nuevo Leon | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Juarez * | Chihuahua | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Matamoros * | Tamaulipas | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Mexicali * | Baja California | Friday 12/6/2024 9:00 PM PST |
|
Nuevo Laredo * | Tamaulipas | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Ojinaga * | Chihuahua | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Piedras Negras * | Coahuila | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Reynosa * | Tamaulipas | Friday 12/6/2024 11:00 PM CST |
|
Tijuana * | Baja California | Friday 12/6/2024 9:00 PM PST |
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* Municipalities which are now permitted by law to observe daylight saving time consistent with the United States. Others smaller towns in the region are reported to be unofficially observing daylight saving time consistent with the United States. |