Time zones can be tricky, especially across two continents as vast and diverse as North and South America. From Newfoundland to Patagonia, the Western Hemisphere spans over 20 official time zones, making coordination across regions a real challenge for global teams.

This guide breaks down every time zone in North and South America, including a full list of Latin American time zones, daylight saving differences, and country-by-country breakdowns. You’ll also find a quick-reference time zone table, an overview of UTC offsets, and tips for managing schedules across multiple regions. Whether you're scheduling calls with clients in Brazil or syncing with a team in Argentina, this article gives you the tools to make it work, no confusion, no surprises.

Why Do Time Zones Matter When Nearshore Outsourcing?

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Time zones are geographic regions where the same standard time is used. They’re based on longitudinal divisions of the Earth, aligning local time with the position of the sun. In practice, that means noon roughly matches when the sun is highest in the sky. Most countries use time zones to coordinate transportation, commerce, government operations, and digital communications.

Without time zones, coordinating across distances would be chaos. Imagine trying to schedule a video call between São Paulo and San Francisco without a consistent standard, businesses would constantly deal with missed meetings, delivery delays, and misaligned work hours. That’s why time zones aren’t just a technical formality; they’re a vital framework for global productivity.

There are 24 standard time zones worldwide, each generally spaced 15 degrees of longitude apart. However, political and economic factors mean many regions deviate from this pattern. For instance, Venezuela operates at UTC-4:30, one of the few countries using a half-hour offset. These irregularities are why understanding time zones in detail is crucial if you work across borders.

The need is growing. According to a 2023 GitLab survey, 86% of companies now use remote teams spread across multiple time zones. If you’re part of a distributed team, knowing which regions observe daylight saving time, how time shifts affect UTC offsets, and when zones change helps avoid workflow disruption and project delays.

In North and South America alone, there are over 20 distinct time zones, including unusual cases like Newfoundland (UTC-3:30) and Chile’s Easter Island (UTC-6). These differences don’t just affect call scheduling, they can impact legal deadlines, contract timestamps, stock trading windows, and even system logs. Moreover, according to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), over 70 countries worldwide observe Daylight Saving Time, including parts of North and Central America, while most South American countries do not. Understanding these variations is essential for avoiding miscommunication and missed meetings.

In short, time zones matter because time matters. And if you’re operating across borders, the cost of getting it wrong can be more than just inconvenient, it can be expensive.

Full North American Time Zone List

1. Newfoundland Standard Time (NST) – UTC-3:30
Used in Newfoundland and parts of Labrador, Canada.
This is one of the few half-hour time zones in the Western Hemisphere.

2. Atlantic Standard Time (AST) – UTC-4
Covers parts of eastern Canada (e.g., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick) and several Caribbean nations like the Dominican Republic.
Note: Some areas shift to Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT) at UTC-3.

3. Eastern Standard Time (EST) – UTC-5
Applies to eastern U.S. states (New York, Florida), Ontario, and Quebec.
This is North America’s most populous time zone. Over 47% of the U.S. population lives in the EST zone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

4. Central Standard Time (CST) – UTC-6
Used in states like Texas, Illinois, and parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Also observed in parts of Mexico and Central America.

5. Mountain Standard Time (MST) – UTC-7
Covers areas like Colorado, Arizona (no DST), Alberta, and parts of northwestern Mexico.
Arizona is unique for staying on MST year-round, avoiding daylight saving shifts.

6. Pacific Standard Time (PST) – UTC-8
Covers California, Washington, British Columbia, and Baja California.
Shifts to Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) at UTC-7 during DST.

7. Alaska Standard Time (AKST) – UTC-9
Applies to most of Alaska except the far western Aleutian Islands.
This zone sees significant daylight variation depending on the season.

8. Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time (HAST) – UTC-10
Used in Hawaii and the western Aleutians.
No DST observance in Hawaii.

9. Central America Standard Time – UTC-6
Used year-round in countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
These regions do not observe daylight saving time, keeping scheduling stable year-round.

10. Mexican Pacific Standard Time – UTC-7
Applies to states like Sonora and Sinaloa.
Sonora aligns with Arizona and also skips DST, which simplifies cross-border coordination.

11. Greenland Time Zones – Ranges from UTC-3 to UTC-1
Greenland operates under multiple time zones due to its size.
The most commonly used zone is West Greenland Time (UTC-3), with DST shifting to UTC-2.

North America's time zone structure isn’t just about geography. It’s a complex system influenced by national policies, cross-border trade, and even local preferences. Keeping track of which areas observe daylight saving, and when, is crucial. The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates time zones in the U.S., while Canada’s provinces and Mexico’s states can set their own DST rules. In 2022, Mexico ended DST for most of the country, a decision that now separates some border cities from their U.S. counterparts for several months each year.

If you're managing schedules across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or Central America, knowing the precise time zone and daylight saving policy for each region is essential for avoiding costly errors.

Time Zones in South America

1. UTC-5 – Colombia, Peru, Ecuador (mainland), Panama
This is the most common time zone in northern South America.
Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador do not observe daylight saving time, offering year-round consistency.
Panama, although often grouped with Central America, follows this same UTC-5 zone permanently.

2. UTC-4 – Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile (mainland)
Venezuela runs on UTC-4:30, one of the few countries in the world with a 30-minute offset.
Bolivia and mainland Chile operate on UTC-4, though Chile switches to daylight saving time, jumping to UTC-3 from September to April.
Paraguay also follows DST, typically advancing the clock between October and March.

3. UTC-3 – Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil (Brasília Time), parts of Chile
This is the most economically influential time zone in South America.
Brazil’s Brasília Time (BRT) covers major cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Argentina and Uruguay also fall under UTC-3 and do not currently observe daylight saving time.

Brazil previously observed DST, but the federal government suspended the practice in 2019 due to findings from the Ministry of Mines and Energy showing limited energy savings and potential disruptions to health and productivity.

4. UTC-2 and UTC-4.5 – Isolated territories and exceptions
Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago off Brazil’s coast, uses UTC-2.
This zone is rare and affects only a small number of residents.
Venezuela’s UTC-4:30 remains a global outlier, reinstated in 2016 for economic and political reasons.

In total, South America accounts for eight distinct time settings when including half-hour and daylight saving offsets. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time, with Chile and Paraguay being the major exceptions. That means you get relative stability across the region, but you still need to stay alert to seasonal changes in places like Santiago or Asunción.

Cross-border operations can get complicated. For example, there’s a two-hour difference between Lima (UTC-5) and Buenos Aires (UTC-3), even though both capitals are relatively close in longitude. The reason? National time policies prioritize daylight hours and internal logistics over strict geographic alignment.

If you're scheduling meetings, shipping products, or coordinating teams across South America, get familiar with each country's current time policy. Relying only on UTC offsets without accounting for local rules or seasonal adjustments can lead to avoidable errors, especially during transition months.

Time Zone Changes, Exceptions, and Oddities

1. Venezuela’s Half-Hour Offset (UTC-4:30)
Venezuela is one of the few countries globally that uses a 30-minute offset.
In 2007, it shifted from UTC-4 to UTC-4:30 to “improve productivity,” according to government claims.
This was reversed in 2016 during an energy crisis, then reintroduced later that year.
It’s currently locked at UTC-4:30, making scheduling tricky if you rely on standard time conversion tools.

2. Newfoundland, Canada (UTC-3:30)
Another notable half-hour deviation comes from Newfoundland and Labrador.
This Canadian province runs on UTC-3:30, not the expected full-hour offset.
It also observes daylight saving time, moving to UTC-2:30 each spring.
That makes it one of the only places in North America with a 30-minute time shift.

3. Arizona’s Opt-Out of Daylight Saving Time
Most of the U.S. observes DST, but Arizona does not, except for the Navajo Nation.
Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-7) year-round, while neighboring states switch.
This creates seasonal time gaps with bordering regions like California (Pacific Time) and New Mexico.
The result? Confusion, especially for businesses running cross-border operations.

4. Brazil’s Former DST Policy
Until 2019, Brazil observed daylight saving time, advancing clocks by one hour in spring.
A government study found no significant energy savings from the change, citing a shift in national energy usage patterns.
As a result, the federal government eliminated DST across the country.
Now, regions like São Paulo and Rio stay on Brasília Time (UTC-3) year-round.

5. Chile’s Complex DST Cycle
Chile alternates between UTC-4 in winter and UTC-3 in summer, following one of the longest DST windows in the Americas.
The switch typically happens in September and April, but changes have been postponed multiple times for elections or emergencies.
Chilean time zones can vary by region, particularly in Magallanes and the Antarctic areas, which observe UTC-3 year-round.

6. Mexico’s Border Zone Policy
Since 2022, Mexico has largely scrapped daylight saving time, aligning most of the country with permanent standard time.
However, border municipalities, like Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, still observe DST to stay synced with adjacent U.S. states.
This dual system means cities within the same time zone may operate an hour apart depending on the season and location.

7. Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos operate on UTC-6, while mainland Ecuador follows UTC-5.
That one-hour gap often surprises travelers and remote workers unfamiliar with the region.
It’s also one of the only permanent time differences within a single country in South America.

These exceptions are more than quirks, they have real impact on meeting scheduling, legal deadlines, financial markets, and cross-border communication. According to the IANA Time Zone Database, over 25 time zone rules are currently in effect across the Americas, many of them tied to local exceptions or political decisions.

Ready to Hire LATAM Talent?

Time zones across the Americas are more than just lines on a map. They directly affect everything from payroll processing and compliance deadlines to real-time collaboration between remote teams. With over 35 active time zone designations in North and South America alone, staying aligned across borders isn’t optional; it’s essential for operational efficiency.

At Hire South, we help companies build and manage distributed teams across Latin America with confidence, as our experience navigating time zone complexity means you get better productivity, faster onboarding, and reduced communication delays. Whether you need developers in Argentina, VAs in Colombia, or an entire support team spanning multiple zones, we make it seamless. Hiring remotely in Latin America doesn’t have to be difficult. It just has to be done right. If you are ready to get started, contact us to schedule a consultation!