Time change in Mexico. When and what destinations apply? is a post that seeks to clarify many of the doubts that arise every year at this time.
Do we move the clock forward or backward? When does summertime start, and when does wintertime start? Do all the states of Mexico apply the time change? These are some questions that are present in the minds of many Mexicans every year.
And although every year one can remove the doubt, the sure thing is that the question will arise again.
Without further ado, let’s get to what matters to us.
Why are there time changes in Mexico?
The reason for the time changes, not only in Mexico but in several countries, is to save electricity, a sense that is often the cause of debate but has been applied for quite some time.
That is why in Mexico, since 1996, wintertime and summertime have been implemented to take advantage of sunlight and avoid spending other electricity, resulting in savings in expenses that the state has in that industry.
The rule is that the first Sunday in April starts daylight saving time and the last Sunday in October starts winter time.
However, just as there are countries that do not apply it, some Mexican states do not follow this rule, and their economic and tourist reasons are also valid.
Those who apply the time change are guided by the seasons of the year, and that is why the changes are called summertime and wintertime.
In the northern hemisphere, the heat occurs in the first months of the year, and on the contrary, the countries that are in the southern hemisphere will have the arrival of the winter season; this will be the factor that determines the name of the change for those who apply it.
When does the time change start in Mexico 2021?
The time change may be a bit confusing for those who arrive in Mexico from abroad or those who move from one state of the country to another since the hours may be different between different states of the Mexican territory, depending on the time of the year. In which it is.
For 2021, the time change in Mexico will take place on Sunday, April 4, when at 2 in the morning, the clocks must be advanced one hour, becoming 3 in the morning.
This schedule, called summertime, will end on October 31, 2021.
This schedule change has the following exceptions:
- All the Mexican states that are in the border strip of the United States,
- The state of Quintana Roo, where the time has not been changed since 2015 for tourist reasons since it seeks to give visitors one more hour of sunshine per day, and
- The state of Sonora maintains the time zone of Arizona, United States, for economic reasons since both entities have a commercial relationship.
Border States Case
In this case, the time change was made on March 14, 2021, at 2 am, when summertime began; here, an hour was added to the clock (2 am became 3 am).
That schedule will remain until Sunday, November 7, 2021, when the winter schedule will occur; On that date, one hour must be subtracted from the clocks (3:00 am will become 2:00 am).
This change applies to the states of: Baja California (Ensenada, Mexicali, Playa Rosarito, Tecate and Tijuana), Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas; with a total of 33 municipalities.
Recommendations before a time change
- As the time change becomes effective at 2 am on April 4, those who fall asleep early on Saturday night can already advance the clock that way. When they wake up, they already do so with the updated time.
- Keep in mind that most cell phones can make the change automatically, but other analog devices such as clocks at home, for example, will need you to do it. In addition, it is good to check watches that you can usually use. In the case of computers or the same cell phone, you can be guided by the schedule that appears on local television channels.
- If you are sensitive to time changes, try to make that weekend a natural break to avoid any discomfort; Keep in mind that you will have one less hour of sleep that day.
- If you travel, you have to be at an airport. Among the first things you should do is check the local time and thus avoid setbacks in case you have connecting flights or other activities subject to schedule.