Is Arizona the Same Time as California?
For about eight months of the year, yes. From mid-March to early November — while California observes daylight saving time — Phoenix and Los Angeles show identical clock times. From early November to mid-March, Arizona is one hour ahead of California.
The reason is that the two states approach clocks differently. California is in the Pacific zone and shifts twice a year (PST in winter, PDT in summer). Arizona is in the Mountain zone but never shifts, staying on MST (UTC−7) year-round. In summer, California's shift to PDT (UTC−7) happens to land exactly on Arizona's fixed offset — so the clocks match.
The Rule of Thumb
| Period | Difference | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-March – early November | None — same time | Noon in LA = Noon in Phoenix |
| Early November – mid-March | Arizona is 1 hour ahead | Noon in LA = 1:00 PM in Phoenix |
The switch dates are the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November — the national DST transitions, which California follows and Arizona ignores.
Common Situations
- Calling or scheduling a meeting: in summer, no math needed. In winter, a 9:00 AM California meeting is 10:00 AM in Arizona — Arizonans get the comfortable end of that trade.
- Driving between the states: crossing the Colorado River near Blythe/Ehrenberg or at Needles in winter costs or gains you an hour. In summer, nothing changes.
- Las Vegas: Nevada follows Pacific Time like California, so the same rule applies — Vegas matches Phoenix in summer and trails it by an hour in winter.
Check the Difference Right Now
The home page shows Arizona side-by-side with Pacific Time (and every other US zone) live, plus a converter that pre-fills your local time — one click tells you what time it is in Arizona when it's any given time where you are.