Colorado time zone and daylight saving time

Mountain Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Denver, UTC−6Sunrise 7:25 a.m. · Sunset 6:01 p.m. · 10 h 36 min of daylight

Colorado at a glance

Time zone
Mountain
Daylight saving time
Observed. UTC−6 in summer, UTC−7 in winter.
Upcoming clock changes
  • Sunday, November 1, 2026: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 14, 2027: clocks spring forward
  • Sunday, November 7, 2027: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 12, 2028: clocks spring forward
Each change happens at 2:00 a.m. local time.
Permanent daylight time law
Enacted in 2022 (with conditions). It needs federal approval before it can take effect.

All of Colorado uses Mountain Time and observes daylight saving time: UTC−6 in summer and UTC−7 in winter.

Time zones in bordering states

Colorado sits on the eastern edge of the Mountain Time zone, so its eastern borders face Central Time.

Select a state on the map to see its time zone details.

Time zone map of Colorado and surrounding states. Each state is a link to its page.Counties are shaded by time zone. Hatched counties are split between two zones; dotted areas do not observe daylight saving time, except the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona, which does observe it and is not drawn separately.ArizonaKansasOklahomaSouth DakotaTexasWyomingNew MexicoUtahNebraskaIdaho

Current time in each zone

  • Central
  • MountainArizona

No daylight saving time. The Navajo Nation in Arizona, which does observe it, isn't drawn separately.County split between two zones; the exact line isn't drawn

  • Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico: same time all along the border.
  • Nebraska: same time; western Nebraska uses Mountain Time.
  • Kansas: mixed. Four western Kansas counties use Mountain Time and match Colorado. In the northeast and southeast corners, Colorado faces Kansas counties on Central Time and is 1 hour behind.
  • Oklahoma: Oklahoma uses Central Time, so Colorado is 1 hour behind it where they meet.
  • Arizona: the two states touch only at the Four Corners. In summer, most of Arizona is 1 hour behind Colorado; in winter, they match.

What permanent time would mean for Colorado

Ending clock changes would mean keeping one time all year: either permanent daylight time or permanent standard time. Here’s how each would shift sunrise and sunset in Denver.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

8:18 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 7:18 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 5:39 p.m. (now 4:39 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

7:31 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 8:31 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 4:32 a.m. (now 5:32 a.m.).

Times for Denver, calculated for 2026. Actual sunrise and sunset can differ by a few minutes with terrain and weather.

Colorado and permanent daylight time

In 2022, Colorado enacted a law (House Bill 22-1297, signed by Governor Jared Polis) to observe daylight saving time year-round. It takes effect only if federal law allows it and at least four other states in the Mountain Time zone do the same. Montana, Utah and Wyoming, all on Mountain Time, have since enacted such laws. Colorado is among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having done so.

Any switch to permanent daylight time would need Congress to act first. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July 2026, and it is now with the Senate.

Common questions

What time zone is Colorado in?

All of Colorado uses Mountain Time and observes daylight saving time.

Is Denver on the same time as Phoenix?

In winter, yes. In summer, when most of Arizona stays on standard time, Denver is 1 hour ahead of Phoenix.

Didn’t Colorado pass a law to stop changing clocks?

Colorado passed a law in 2022, but it takes effect only if federal law allows it and at least four other Mountain Time states do the same. Until then, clocks keep changing.

Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (49 CFR Part 71); Congressional Research Service; Congress.gov.

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