Short answer: Cabo San Lucas is on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-7) all year, with no daylight saving time. That is the same clock as Denver in winter and Los Angeles in summer.
Los Cabos local time
Cabo San Lucas stays on one clock all year
Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo and the rest of Baja California Sur keep Mountain Standard Time, UTC-7, all year. Mexico dropped daylight saving time in October 2022, so the clocks here no longer move in spring or fall. The clock on your phone back home changes twice a year; the one in Cabo doesn't.
What the Cabo clock means for your trip
Flights and transfers
Arrival and departure times for Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) are always in Los Cabos local time, UTC-7. Your itinerary already uses it, so there is nothing to convert. Just check that your phone has actually switched when you land, especially if it stayed on home time.
One state, one clock
The same time applies from the Cabo San Lucas marina to San José del Cabo, along the Tourist Corridor, up the Pacific side to Todos Santos, around the East Cape and all the way to La Paz. It is one state and one clock.
Calling home
The gap with the US and Canada moves by an hour twice a year, because they change their clocks and Cabo doesn't. The live cards above show the difference right now, and the table below shows both seasons.
Cabo San Lucas time compared with other cities
Cabo never changes, but the US, Canada and Europe do, so the gap with home shifts by an hour twice a year. The “Now” column is calculated live on your device.
| City | Now | Nov to mid March | Mid March to Nov |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, Vancouver, Tijuana | Cabo is 1 h ahead | Same time | |
| Phoenix | Same time | Same time | |
| Denver, Calgary | Same time | Cabo is 1 h behind | |
| Chicago, Dallas, Winnipeg | Cabo is 1 h behind | Cabo is 2 h behind | |
| New York, Toronto, Montreal | Cabo is 2 h behind | Cabo is 3 h behind | |
| London | Cabo is 7 h behind | Cabo is 8 h behind | |
| Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta | Cabo is 1 h behind | Cabo is 1 h behind | |
| Mazatlán, La Paz, Hermosillo | Same time | Same time | |
| Cancún | Cabo is 2 h behind | Cabo is 2 h behind |
The US and Canada change clocks on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November (November 1 in 2026, March 14 in 2027). Europe changes on the last Sundays of March and October, so for a week or so each spring and fall the London gap is an hour different.
How to work out the Cabo time
Subtract 7 hours from UTC and you have the time in Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, La Paz and the rest of Baja California Sur. In winter that is the same time as Denver and one hour ahead of Los Angeles. In summer, Los Angeles has the same time as Cabo and Denver is one hour ahead. For a map of every Mexican time zone, see Time in Mexico.
Where the clock does change near Cabo
The whole state of Baja California Sur shares Cabo's time. These are the neighbours worth knowing about:
- North, in Baja CaliforniaTijuana, Ensenada and the rest of Baja California use Pacific time and follow US daylight saving. From early November to mid March they are one hour behind Cabo; the rest of the year they match it. Drive north on Highway 1 and you cross the line at the state border, just north of Guerrero Negro.
- Across the Sea of CortezSinaloa (Mazatlán, Los Mochis), Sonora and most of Nayarit use the same Zona Pacífico clock as Cabo, all year.
- Mexico City, Guadalajara and Puerto VallartaThese are on Central time, UTC-6, so they are one hour ahead of Cabo all year. Cancún, at UTC-5, is two hours ahead.
Your time zone questions, answered
What time zone is Cabo San Lucas in?
Mountain Standard Time, UTC-7, all year. Mexico calls it Zona Pacífico. Some phones and calendars list it as America/Mazatlan, and that is the same clock. It covers all of Baja California Sur, including San José del Cabo and La Paz.
Does Cabo San Lucas change clocks for daylight saving time?
No. Mexico abolished daylight saving time with its new time zone law of October 2022, and the last clock change in Baja California Sur was on October 30, 2022. Only Baja California and some municipalities on the US border still change.
Is Cabo on the same time as Los Angeles or Denver?
It depends on the season. From early November to mid March, Cabo is on the same clock as Denver and one hour ahead of Los Angeles. From mid March to early November, when the US is on daylight time, Cabo matches Los Angeles and is one hour behind Denver. Phoenix matches Cabo all year.
What is the time difference between Cabo and New York, Toronto or Chicago?
New York and Toronto are two hours ahead of Cabo in winter and three hours ahead in summer. Chicago is one hour ahead in winter and two hours ahead in summer.
Are San José del Cabo and La Paz on the same time as Cabo San Lucas?
Yes. All of Baja California Sur is on one clock, UTC-7, including San José del Cabo, the Corridor, Todos Santos and La Paz.
Is Tijuana on the same time as Cabo?
Only part of the year. Tijuana and the rest of Baja California follow US daylight saving, so they match Cabo from mid March to early November and are one hour behind it the rest of the year.
What time zone are flight times at SJD in?
Arrival and departure times for Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) are always in Los Cabos local time, UTC-7.
Is Puerto Vallarta on the same time as Cabo?
No. Puerto Vallarta is on Central time, UTC-6, so it is one hour ahead of Cabo all year.
Sources. Mexico’s Ley de los Husos Horarios (Diario Oficial, October 28, 2022) places Baja California Sur in the Zona Pacífico. See also the national time reference at CENAM.
Leave A Comment