Residents in Tijuana will need to adjust their clocks backward by one hour on Sunday, November 1, 2026, as the northern border region concludes its seasonal time change and returns to standard time. The major part of the country now maintains its standard time throughout the entire year, as daylight saving time stopped being applied across all of Mexico.
While the nationwide elimination of daylight saving time took effect across most of Mexico following the passage of a 2022 law on time zones, specific exemptions remain in place for northern border municipalities and the entire state of Baja California. In 2022, Mexico expedited a new Law of Time Zones that eliminated generalized seasonal changes across most of the national territory. These adjustments are designed to maintain commercial, industrial, and daily scheduling coordination with neighboring regions in the United States, seeking to maintain greater coordination with the schedules of the United States, with which there is an intense commercial, labor, school, and transportation relationship.
The adjustment officially takes place during the early morning hours. As the clock strikes 02:00, local time must be turned back to 01:00, effectively granting an extra hour during that Sunday morning.
When will clocks change in Tijuana for winter 2026?
The transition from the seasonal northern border regime back to standard time is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, 2026. Under the federal Ley de los Husos Horarios en los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, the seasonal period specifies that the northern border framework begins at 02:00 on the second Sunday of March and concludes at 02:00 on the first Sunday of November, establishing that El horario estacional fronterizo norte surtirá efecto desde las dos horas del segundo domingo de marzo, y concluirá a las dos horas del primer domingo de noviembre
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Consequently, the seasonal period that began on Sunday, March 8, 2026—when clocks were advanced by one hour—will officially conclude on November 1.
Does the time change apply across all of Baja California?
The rule applies across the state of Baja California, meaning the change applies throughout the entire entity, including Tijuana.
While interior states across Mexico operate on a fixed standard time all year, the legislation carves out specific exceptions for the northern border strip to align economic operations with cross-border partners.
Which other northern border zones observe the seasonal schedule?
Aside from the entire state of Baja California, the seasonal time adjustments remain active across selected municipalities in four other northern states:
- Coahuila: Acuña, Allende, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jiménez, Morelos, Nava, Ocampo, Piedras Negras, Villa Unión, and Zaragoza.
- Nuevo León: Anáhuac.
- Tamaulipas: Nuevo Laredo, Guerrero, Mier, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Reynosa, Río Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and Matamoros.
- Chihuahua: Coyame del Sotol, Ojinaga, Manuel Benavides, Janos, Ascensión, Juárez, Praxedis G. Guerrero, and Guadalupe.
How will digital devices handle the transition?
Most modern smartphones, computers, and digital tablets configured to update automatically will adjust without requiring manual input. However, authorities recommend verifying system time settings prior to Sunday morning to prevent scheduling discrepancies for cross-border commuters, transportation schedules, and bi-national business operations.
