Mountain Time Zone

Mountain Time Zone
Time zone
Mountain Time Zone
UTC offset
MST	UTC−07:00
MDT	UTC−06:00
Current time
10:51, November 25, 2024 MST [refresh]
Observance of DST
DST is observed in some of this time zone.

The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time (UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time (UTC−06:00). The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time at the 105th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. In the United States, the exact specification for the location of time zones and the dividing lines between zones is set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations at 49 CFR 71.^[a]

In the United States and Canada, this time zone is generically called Mountain Time (MT). Specifically, it is Mountain Standard Time (MST) when observing standard time, and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) when observing daylight saving time. The term refers to the Rocky Mountains, which range from British Columbia to New Mexico. In Mexico, this time zone is known as the tiempo de la montaña or zona Pacífico ("Pacific Zone"). In the United States and Canada, the Mountain Time Zone is to the east of the Pacific Time Zone and to the west of the Central Time Zone.

In some areas, starting in 2007, the local time changes from MST to MDT at 2 am MST to 3 am MDT on the second Sunday in March and returns at 2 am MDT to 1 am MST on the first Sunday in November.

Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico, and most of Arizona in the United States, do not observe daylight saving time (DST), and during the spring, summer, and autumn months they are on the same time as Pacific Daylight Time.^[4] The Navajo Nation, most of which lies within Arizona but extends into Utah and New Mexico (which do observe DST), does observe DST, although the Hopi Reservation, as well as some Arizona state offices lying within the Navajo Nation, do not.

The largest city in the Mountain Time Zone is Phoenix, Arizona; the Phoenix metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area in the zone.

One province and two territories are fully contained in the Mountain Time Zone:

• Alberta
• Northwest Territories
• Yukon (no DST)

On September 24, 2020, Yukon switched to the Mountain Standard Time year-round. Therefore, clocks in Yukon and Alberta are the same in the winter, and Alberta is one hour ahead in summer. Previously, the territory had used the Pacific Time Zone with daylight saving time: UTC−8 in winter and UTC−7 in summer.^[5]

One province and one territory are split between the Mountain Time Zone and the Pacific Time Zone:

• British Columbia – northeastern and southeastern regions
• Northwest Territories – Tungsten

One territory and one province are split between the Mountain Time Zone and the Central Time Zone:

• Nunavut: Kitikmeot Region
• Saskatchewan: Lloydminster and vicinity

As of October 30, 2022, Mexico abandoned daylight savings time, with certain exceptions. The following states have the same time as Mountain Time Zone:

• Baja California Sur
• Nayarit: except for the Bahía de Banderas municipality, which uses the Central Time Zone.
• Sonora
• Sinaloa
• Chihuahua: Observes Daylight Savings Time, only in northwestern border municipalities (Janos, Ascensión, Juárez, Guadalupe, and Práxedis Gilberto Guerrero)
• Revillagigedo Islands (Colima): three of the four islands have the same time as Mountain Time Zone: Socorro Island, San Benedicto Island and Roca Partida.

Six states are fully contained in the Mountain Time Zone:

• Colorado
• Montana
• New Mexico
• Utah
• Wyoming
• Arizona (does not use daylight saving time except for Navajo Nation)

Three states are split between the Mountain Time Zone and the Pacific Time Zone. The following locations observe Mountain Time:

• Idaho: Southern Idaho and the portion of Idaho County south of the Salmon River
• Oregon: the majority of Malheur County
• Nevada: West Wendover

Five states are split between the Mountain Time Zone and the Central Time Zone. The following locations observe Mountain Time:

• Kansas: Sherman, Wallace, Greeley and Hamilton counties
• Nebraska: western one third
• North Dakota: the southwest corner counties (Adams, Billings, Bowman, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Slope, Stark) observe MST. The counties of McKenzie, Dunn, and Sioux are split.
• South Dakota: western half
• Texas: El Paso, Hudspeth, and northwestern Culberson counties

Alphabetical list of major cities located within the Mountain Time Zone. Cities in bold do not observe daylight saving time:

• Effects of time zones on North American broadcasting

• World time zone map Archived December 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
• U.S. time zone map Archived February 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• History of U.S. time zones and UTC conversion Archived August 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
• Canada time zone map
• Official times across Mexico
• Canada time map
• U.S. time map