Time Zones in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean
The Americas outside the United States include some of the most varied time zone rules in the world. Countries have started and stopped daylight saving time in recent years, so it pays to check the current rule.
Canada: six zones
Canada uses Pacific (Vancouver), Mountain (Edmonton), Central (Winnipeg), Eastern (Toronto), Atlantic (Halifax) and Newfoundland time. Newfoundland is a half-hour zone at UTC−3:30 in winter (St. John's).
Canada changes its clocks on the same dates as the United States. Exceptions include most of Saskatchewan, which stays on Central Standard Time all year (Regina), and Yukon, which has used UTC−7 all year since 2020.
Mexico: four zones, no national daylight saving time
Mexico ended daylight saving time in 2022. It has four zones: Southeast (UTC−5, including Cancún), Central (UTC−6, including Mexico City), Pacific (UTC−7) and Northwest (UTC−8). Border cities such as Tijuana follow the US schedule, including daylight saving time.
Brazil: four zones, no daylight saving time
Brazil abolished daylight saving time in 2019. The country has four zones, from UTC−2 on the Fernando de Noronha islands to UTC−5 in Acre. The most-used zone is Brasília time at UTC−3 (São Paulo). Other examples are Manaus at UTC−4 and Rio Branco at UTC−5.
South America at a glance
| Country | Offset | Clock changes? |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina, Uruguay | UTC−3 | No |
| Chile | UTC−4 / −3 | Yes, September to April (Santiago) |
| Venezuela, Bolivia | UTC−4 | No |
| Colombia, Peru, Ecuador | UTC−5 | No (Quito) |
Ecuador also owns the Galápagos Islands, which are one hour behind the mainland (Galápagos).
Central America and the Caribbean
Most of Central America uses a fixed offset all year; for example Costa Rica is on UTC−6 and Panama on UTC−5. In the Caribbean, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic keep the same time all year, while Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas change their clocks in spring and autumn.
Scheduling tips for the Americas
- Because some countries change their clocks and others do not, the gap to a US or Canadian city can be different in summer and in winter. Always check the date.
- Name the city, not the country. "Brazil time" or "Mexico time" can mean more than one zone.
- If the other side is in a country without daylight saving time, remember that their clocks do not move when yours do.
Read more: see the guide for the United States and how daylight saving time shifts the gaps.
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Daylight Saving Time Explained: Why Time Differences Change
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