Cancún runs on UTC−5 (EST) every day of the year, with no daylight saving time.
Cancún and your time
Cancún at a glance
| Country | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Region | Quintana Roo |
| Time zone | America/Cancun |
| Abbreviation now | EST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−5 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed since 2014 |
| Coordinates | 21.17° N, 86.85° W |
Cancún time zone and clock changes
Local time in Cancún is UTC−5 year round, under the America/Cancun rules. Daylight saving time was used in the past, most recently in 2014, and no future change is scheduled.
Watch out when booking with the capital: Mexico City is 1 hour behind Cancún, because Mexico spans 4 offsets.
Clock changes in Cancún, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Cancún for 2026 or 2027.
How far ahead or behind Cancún is
When it is 9:00 AM in Cancún, it is 2:00 PM in London, 1:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 6:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | --:-- | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 7 h |
| New York (United States) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | 1 h ahead | 8 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 2 h behind | 5 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 3 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 2 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 15 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 3 h |
Because Cancún keeps one offset all year, any change in the gap comes from the other city’s daylight saving time. Compare the January and July columns.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Daylight in Cancún
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Being in the tropics, Cancún sees little change in day length: the longest day (13 hours 25 minutes) is only 2 hours 34 minutes longer than the shortest (10 hours 51 minutes). Sunrise stays between 6:05 AM and 7:27 AM all year.
Daylight through the year in Cancún
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:51 AM | 6:58 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 6:07 AM | 7:32 PM | 13 h 25 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 6:36 AM | 6:44 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:20 AM | 6:11 PM | 10 h 51 min |
When the sun is highest in Cancún
The clock in Cancún runs ahead of the sun. Solar noon, the moment the sun is highest, comes at about 12:45 PM on standard time. That is why sunrise and sunset both come late here.
Cities near Cancún
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playa del Carmen | 65 km (41 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Mérida | 289 km (180 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Cancún today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- New York (United States)
- Toronto (Canada)
- Havana (Cuba)
- Port-au-Prince (Haiti)
- Indianapolis (United States)
- Detroit (United States)
More cities in Mexico
All time zones and cities in Mexico
Plan around the time in Cancún
- Convert a time to or from Cancún: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Cancún to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Cancún and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Cancún in?
Cancún uses the America/Cancun time zone, which is UTC−5 (EST) all year.
Does Cancún use daylight saving time?
Not any more. Cancún last changed its clocks for daylight saving time in 2014 and now stays on UTC−5 all year.
What is the time difference between Cancún and London?
Cancún is 5 hours behind London in January and 6 hours behind London in July, because London moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Cancún does not.
Is Cancún on the same time as Mexico City?
No. Mexico City is 1 hour behind Cancún, because Mexico uses more than one offset.
How long is the longest day in Cancún?
About 13 hours 25 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 10 hours 51 minutes of daylight.
Why is the sun not highest at noon in Cancún?
Clock time follows the time zone, not the sun. Cancún lies west of the line its offset is based on, so solar noon comes at about 12:45 PM on standard time.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.