Current time in Tucson, 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 | 32.22° N, 110.97° W |
Time difference from Tucson
| 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 |
Tucson agrees with Denver's clock from November to March and with Los Angeles's from March to November — Arizona's fixed MST drifts between the Mountain and Pacific zones.
About time in Tucson
Tucson, seat of Pima County, is Arizona's second city, ringed by the Santa Catalina, Rincon, and Tucson mountains about 60 miles north of the Mexican border.
Its clock never moves: Arizona last set clocks forward in 1967, and the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora later abandoned DST as well — partly to stay synchronized with Arizona — so Tucson and Hermosillo agree year-round even as Tucson's offset to California flips with the seasons.
Astronomy also shapes local timekeeping. Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of the city schedules observing runs in Universal Time, a constant 7 hours ahead of Tucson, and the city has enforced dark-sky outdoor lighting rules to protect the observatories since 1972.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Tucson in?
Tucson stays on Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC−7) every day of the year, because Arizona does not use daylight saving time.
Is Tucson on the same time as Los Angeles or Denver?
Both, depending on the season: Tucson equals Denver from November to March, then equals Los Angeles from March to November while the rest of the country is on daylight time.
Does Tucson observe daylight saving time?
No. Arizona exempted itself from DST in 1968, so Tucson never changes its clocks. Within the state, only the Navajo Nation in the northeast springs forward and falls back.