If you’re standing on the banks of the Rio Grande looking across at the El Paso skyline, you might assume you know exactly what time it is. But honestly, what time is in juarez mexico has become a bit of a headache for travelers and locals alike over the last few years.
Right now, it’s Mountain Standard Time (MST) in Ciudad Juárez.
If you’re looking at a clock in Juárez today—Thursday, January 15, 2026—it should be showing the exact same time as El Paso, Texas. That's because Juárez is currently at UTC -7.
But don't get too comfortable. This city has a history of making people late for meetings because of some pretty wild legislative flip-flops.
The Border Time Paradox
You’ve probably heard that Mexico abolished Daylight Saving Time (DST) back in 2022. That’s true for most of the country. If you fly down to Mexico City or soak up the sun in Guadalajara, the clocks stay put all year round.
But Juárez is different.
Because Juárez and El Paso are basically one giant metropolitan area split by a fence, having two different times would be a total disaster for the thousands of people who cross the border every day for work. Imagine trying to catch a 9:00 AM meeting in Texas when your house in Mexico says it’s only 8:00 AM.
To prevent this chaos, Juárez is one of the "border municipalities" that still follows the U.S. daylight saving schedule.
Key Dates for 2026
If you’re planning a trip or have a business call soon, keep these dates on your radar:
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- March 8, 2026: Clocks "spring forward" one hour. Juárez moves from MST to Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), which is UTC -6.
- November 1, 2026: Clocks "fall back" one hour. The city returns to Mountain Standard Time (MST), or UTC -7.
Why things got weird in 2022
There was a moment a couple of years ago when things went seriously sideways. In late 2022, the Mexican government accidentally lumped the state of Chihuahua (where Juárez lives) into the Central Time Zone during a massive legal overhaul.
For a few weeks, Juárez was an hour ahead of El Paso.
It was a mess. Kids were going to school in the pitch black. The international bridges were backed up because shifts didn't align. Local businesses basically revolted, and the state government had to scramble to get a special exemption from Mexico City to move Juárez back to Mountain Time.
Nowadays, the law is pretty clear: Juárez stays glued to El Paso’s clock. This keeps the "Paso del Norte" region moving in sync, which is vital for the maquiladora industry and the local economy.
Real-world tips for travelers
You'd think your smartphone would handle this automatically, right? Kinda.
Most of the time, your phone uses your GPS location to set the time. However, if you're hanging out near the border, your phone might ping a tower in El Paso one minute and a tower in Juárez the next. Since they are currently on the same time, it’s not a huge deal right now.
But during those transition periods in March or November, or if you’re traveling deeper into Mexico, you should definitely double-check your settings.
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Pro Tip: If you are traveling from Juárez to Mexico City, remember that Mexico City stays on Central Standard Time (CST) all year. Depending on the month, Juárez might be the same time as the capital, or it might be an hour behind.
What most people get wrong
A common mistake is thinking all of Mexico is on the same page. It’s not. There are actually four main time zones in Mexico:
- Zona Centro: Most of the country (CST).
- Zona Pacífico: Chihuahua, Nayarit, Sonora, etc.
- Zona Noroeste: Baja California (tied to PT).
- Zona Sureste: Quintana Roo (stays on EST year-round for the tourists).
Juárez sits in that "Pacific Zone" bucket but with the added "Border DST" twist.
If you're doing business across the border, just remember: if it's 2:00 PM in Denver, it's 2:00 PM in Juárez. If it's 3:00 PM in Chicago, it's 2:00 PM in Juárez.
Actionable steps for your schedule
To make sure you don't miss a flight or a dinner reservation at one of the great steakhouses in Juárez, do this:
- Check the current UTC offset: As of January 2026, Juárez is UTC -7.
- Manual Sync: If you're staying near the border, manually set your phone's time zone to "Denver" or "El Paso" rather than "Automatic" to avoid any tower-hopping glitches.
- Confirm with the Airline: If you are flying out of Abraham González International Airport (CJS), confirm the local time on your boarding pass, especially if you’re coming from the U.S. side.
Staying on top of what time is in juarez mexico is really just about staying on top of El Paso's schedule. As long as you remember that the border cities work as a team, you’ll be right on time.