Current time in Phoenix, AZ
Mountain Standard Time UTC−7 · IANA zone America/Phoenix
Time zone details
| Time zone | Mountain Standard Time (MST) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | MST, UTC−7 (all year) |
| Daylight time | Not observed |
| DST clock change | None — Arizona stays on MST year-round |
| Sunrise today | — |
| Sunset today | — |
| Day length | — |
| Coordinates | 33.45° N, 112.07° W |
Time difference from Phoenix
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| New York | +2 / +3 h |
| Chicago | +1 / +2 h |
| Denver | 0 / +1 h |
| Los Angeles | −1 / 0 h |
| Anchorage | −2 / −1 h |
| Honolulu | −3 h |
In winter Phoenix matches the Mountain Time Zone (Denver, Salt Lake City); in summer it matches the Pacific Time Zone (Los Angeles, Las Vegas) instead.
About time in Phoenix
Phoenix, the seat of Maricopa County, is Arizona's capital and the fifth-most-populous US city — and the reference point for the state's unusual clock, carried in the IANA database as America/Phoenix.
After the Uniform Time Act of 1966, Arizona tried daylight time once, in 1967, then opted out permanently in 1968: an extra hour of evening sun is no gift in a city where June afternoons routinely top 105 °F. The result is that Phoenix agrees with Denver's clock in winter and with Los Angeles's in summer.
The exception lies in the state's northeast, where the Navajo Nation observes DST to keep a single time across its Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah territory — while the Hopi reservation it surrounds follows the rest of Arizona and does not.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Phoenix in?
Phoenix is on Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC−7) all year. Because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, Phoenix matches Denver in winter and Los Angeles in summer.
Is Phoenix the same time as Los Angeles?
From March to November, yes: Los Angeles moves to PDT (UTC−7), matching Arizona's year-round MST. In winter Phoenix is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles.
Does Phoenix change clocks for daylight saving time?
No. Arizona opted out of daylight saving in 1968 and Phoenix has kept MST ever since. The only part of the state that changes clocks is the Navajo Nation, in northeastern Arizona.