Does Arizona Observe Daylight Saving Time? What New Residents Should Know

No, most of Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time. Arizona has stayed on Mountain Standard Time all year since 1968, so our clocks never "fall back" or "spring forward." The big exception is the Navajo Nation in the northeast corner of the state, which does change its clocks.

Every fall, right around now, I get the same question from people who just moved here or are about to: "Do I need to change my clocks this weekend?" If you live in the Phoenix area, the answer is no. In 2026, the rest of the country (with a few exceptions) sets its clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1. Here in the Valley, nothing happens. What does change is how far apart we are from family and coworkers in other states, and that part trips up a lot of newcomers. Here is what to know.

Why Arizona Opted Out of Daylight Saving Time

Arizona actually tried Daylight Saving Time in 1967, and people did not like it. In a 2019 KJZZ story, an ASU history professor explained that residents did not want to pay for an extra hour of air conditioning, because moving the clock pushed more of the day's waking hours into the hottest part of the evening. An ASU meteorologist put it simply in that same piece: in the summer, Arizonans need less daylight, not more. With DST, the sun would set much later on already brutal summer nights.

So on March 21, 1968, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill putting the state on Mountain Standard Time year-round, and Governor Jack Williams signed it the same day. Arizona did not need special federal permission to do this, and it has stayed that way ever since.

The Exceptions: Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation

This is where it gets interesting. The Navajo Nation, which covers a large area of northeastern Arizona (and reaches into Utah and New Mexico), does observe Daylight Saving Time. The Hopi Reservation sits entirely inside the Navajo Nation, and it does not observe DST, following the rest of Arizona instead.

That creates one of the strangest drives in America. During Daylight Saving Time, if you head east from Tuba City on Arizona Route 264, you can pass through six time changes in less than 100 miles as you move in and out of Navajo and Hopi land. If you are planning a spring or summer trip to Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly or that part of the state, double check what time your tour or reservation really is.

What It Means for Your Calendar

Arizona is always on Mountain Standard Time, which is seven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-7). Because every state around us changes and we don't, our time difference with the rest of the country shifts twice a year:

• From early November to mid-March (standard time), Arizona matches Denver and Salt Lake City, and we are one hour ahead of California.
• From mid-March to early November (Daylight Saving Time), Arizona lines up with California and the West Coast, and we are one hour behind Denver.

So starting November 1, 2026, if you work remotely for a company in Los Angeles or Seattle, your 9 a.m. meeting there will be at 10 a.m. here. If your boss is in New York or Chicago, the gap grows by an hour too: Eastern Time goes from three hours ahead of us to two. Under the federal schedule, Daylight Saving Time starts again on the second Sunday of March, which in 2027 is March 14, and the gaps flip back.

My advice to new arrivals: put a reminder on your phone for the first Sunday of November and the second Sunday of March. You don't need to touch your clocks, but you will want to look at any recurring calls, flights and family video chats.

Setting Up Your Clocks and Devices in Arizona

Smartphones and computers set to update automatically will usually handle this for you, as long as they are set to the Arizona time zone (it often shows as "Phoenix" or "America/Phoenix") instead of plain Mountain Time. If a device is set to Mountain Time with DST turned on, it will jump an hour in March and November and be wrong half the year.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology points out that clocks used in Arizona need their automatic DST feature turned off. That includes things people forget about after a move:

• Older alarm clocks and "atomic" clocks with a DST switch
• Car dashboards, especially if you drove a car here from out of state
• Thermostats and sprinkler or irrigation timers
• Pool pump and lighting timers, security cameras and smart home hubs

When I hand buyers the keys to a resale home, I often suggest a quick walk-through of the timers. A sprinkler controller that is an hour off can water later in the morning than you planned, and a pool or lighting timer can be off just as easily. If you are still getting your accounts turned on, my guide to setting up utilities when you move to Phoenix walks through APS, SRP, gas and water.

Questions People Ask

Does Phoenix change its clocks in November?
No. Phoenix and nearly all of Arizona stay on Mountain Standard Time all year, so clocks do not change on November 1, 2026. Only the time difference with other states changes.

Is Arizona on the same time as California?
Only part of the year. During Daylight Saving Time, from mid-March to early November, Arizona and California show the same time. From November to March, Arizona is one hour ahead of California.

Which parts of Arizona observe Daylight Saving Time?
The Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona observes it. The Hopi Reservation, surrounded by the Navajo Nation, does not, and neither does the rest of the state.

Do any other states skip Daylight Saving Time?
Yes. Hawaii also stays on standard time, as do U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

One Less Thing to Worry About

Skipping the time change is one of those small perks of Arizona life that people end up loving. If you are weighing where in the Valley to land, take a look at my Moving to Phoenix guide, browse the Arizona city guides, and check the cost of living in Phoenix to see how it compares to where you are now.