Time in Cancun now
Cancun keeps the same time all year: five hours behind UTC (UTC−5), with no daylight saving time. The whole state of Quintana Roo shares it, from Isla Mujeres and Cozumel to Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Bacalar. The table below shows today’s difference with several cities in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe.
Right now
2:19 pm
Sunrise 6:55 am, sunset 6:08 pm.
Today is November 11, 2026.
Time difference with other places
| Place | Time there | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 11:19 am | 3 hours behind |
| Denver | 12:19 pm | 2 hours behind |
| Chicago | 1:19 pm | 1 hour behind |
| Mexico City | 1:19 pm | 1 hour behind |
| New York | 2:19 pm | Same time |
| Toronto | 2:19 pm | Same time |
| London | 7:19 pm | 5 hours ahead |
| Madrid | 8:19 pm | 6 hours ahead |
Why Cancun has its own time
Until 2015, Quintana Roo used Central time, like Mexico City, and changed its clocks in spring and autumn. On February 1, 2015, the state moved to a time zone of its own, Mexico's Southeast zone, one hour ahead of the rest of the country, so that winter evenings would have more daylight for visitors. Since then the clocks have never moved.
Cancun and the United States and Canada
UTC−5 is the same as Eastern Standard Time, so the difference with the US and Canada depends on the season:
- In winter, from early November to early or mid-March, Cancun has the same time as New York, Miami and Toronto. It is one hour ahead of Chicago, two ahead of Denver and three ahead of Los Angeles.
- In summer, when the US and Canada move their clocks forward, Cancun is one hour behind New York and Toronto, the same as Chicago, one hour ahead of Denver and two ahead of Los Angeles.
Arizona does not change its clocks either, so Phoenix is always two hours behind Cancun.
Cancun and the rest of Mexico
Most of Mexico stopped changing its clocks in 2022, and Mexico City, Guadalajara and Mérida stay on Central time (UTC−6) all year. Cancun is always one hour ahead of them. That matters on a day trip: Chichén Itzá and Valladolid are in the neighboring state of Yucatán, an hour behind the coast.
Good to know
Flights, ferries and tours always give their times in local time. If you arrive on a cruise ship, check whether your all-aboard time is given in ship's time or in the local time of Cozumel: they are not always the same.