Cancún time zone history
The Cancún zone has changed its standard time 5 times since 1970, the most of the 12 zones in Mexico. Daylight saving time was used in 19 years since 1970, last in 2014; under the current rules the clocks no longer change. Cancún kept local mean time (UTC−5:47:04) until 1922, the latest switch of the 23 zones on UTC−5 standard time with local mean time in the record.
UTC−5
Standard time is UTC−5 (EST) all year under the current rules.
Summer time in 19 of 57 years since 1970
Before 1970
Standard time changes
| Date | Change | New standard time | Clock label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1970 | |||
| January 1, 1922 | Local mean time (UTC−5:47:04) replaced | UTC−6 | CST |
| Since 1970 | |||
| December 26, 1981 | Standard time forward 1 hour | UTC−5 | EST |
| January 4, 1983 | Standard time back 1 hour | UTC−6 | CST |
| October 26, 1997 | Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not move | UTC−5 | EST |
| August 2, 1998 | Standard time back 1 hour | UTC−6 | CST |
| February 1, 2015 | Standard time forward 1 hour | UTC−5 | EST |
Daylight saving periods
| Years | Clocks go forward | Clocks go back | Shift and labels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | April 7 | October 27 | 1 hour, CST to CDT |
| 1997 | April 6 | not that year | 1 hour, CST to CDT |
| 1998–2000 | first Sunday in April, 02:00 | last Sunday in October, 02:00 | 1 hour, EST to EDT |
| 2001 | May 6 | September 30 | 1 hour, CST to CDT |
| 2002–2014 | first Sunday in April, 02:00 | last Sunday in October, 02:00 | 1 hour, CST to CDT |
Also on UTC−5
Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, Monticello, Kentucky (United States), Louisville, Kentucky (United States), Marengo, Indiana (United States), Petersburg, Indiana (United States) and Vincennes, Indiana (United States) (nearest first; 13 more on the list of offsets).
Clocks next door since 1970
- Mérida (296 km): same time except 3,036 days in 1982, 1983, 1997, 1998 and 2015–2026; 1 hour behind today.
- Belize (426 km): same time except 8,838 days in 1973, 1974, 1981–1983 and 1996–2026; 1 hour behind today.
- Cuba (507 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 7,134 days in 1970–2026; same time today.
- Honduras (778 km): same time except 8,952 days in 1981–1983, 1987, 1988 and 1996–2026; 1 hour behind today.
- Guatemala (820 km): same time except 8,979 days in 1973, 1974, 1981–1983, 1991 and 1996–2026; 1 hour behind today.
How it compares
The latest change of standard time came on February 1, 2015, from UTC−6 to UTC−5.
On standard time, clocks in Cancún run 47 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.