Time calculator

Denver Time

Live local time in Denver (America/Denver). See MST UTC−7, MDT UTC−6, U.S. DST dates, and how Mountain Time compares to Pacific, Central, and Eastern.

Instant result

Result

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Enter values to calculate.

Inputs—

Mode—

Formula—

Trust summary Engine tested · Specification checked · v1.0.1

Input interpretation: Enter values to calculate.
Result: —
Model: Current local date and time in the America/Denver time zone (Denver / U.S. Mountain Time).
Scope: Device clock and OS timezone database are reasonably correct.
Verification: Engine tested · Specification checked · v1.0.1
Named expert review: Optional · Not performed
Specification basis: IANA time zone database — America/Denver
U.S. Energy Policy Act DST schedule (second Sunday in March / first Sunday in November)
Mountain Time Zone offsets UTC−7 / UTC−6
Specification basis

Formulas

Core equations used by this calculator.

IANA zoneAmerica/Denver

MST (winter)UTC − 7 hours

MDT (summer)UTC − 6 hours

iOffsets change with U.S. Daylight Saving Time. Most of Arizona stays on MST all year and does not follow this schedule — use the Phoenix clock for that.

How to use

Open the live clock

The page shows current date and time for America/Denver from your browser.

Refresh if needed

Use Refresh to re-read the clock; the display also updates about once per second.

Check the season

In winter expect MST (UTC−7); from mid-March to early November expect MDT (UTC−6).

Example calculations

Common configurations with formula and result.

Noon UTC in winter

MST = UTC−7

12:00 UTC − 7 h

05:00 MST

Noon UTC in summer

MDT = UTC−6

12:00 UTC − 6 h

06:00 MDT

vs Central Time

Same DST rules as Chicago

MT = CT − 1 hour

Always 1 hour behind CT

vs Pacific Time

Same DST rules as Los Angeles

MT = PT + 1 hour

Always 1 hour ahead of PT

DST schedule (Denver local time)

Common values at a glance.

Year	Spring forward (MST → MDT)	Fall back (MDT → MST)
2025	Sun Mar 9, 02:00 → 03:00	Sun Nov 2, 02:00 → 01:00
2026	Sun Mar 8, 02:00 → 03:00	Sun Nov 1, 02:00 → 01:00
2027	Sun Mar 14, 02:00 → 03:00	Sun Nov 7, 02:00 → 01:00
2028	Sun Mar 12, 02:00 → 03:00	Sun Nov 5, 02:00 → 01:00

i U.S. rule since 2007: second Sunday in March at 02:00 standard time, and first Sunday in November at 02:00 daylight time. Always confirm near a transition if you schedule across the change.

Denver Time specification

Version 1.0.1 · Engine tested

Calculation status

Engine tested 3 published cases
Named expert review Not performed
Calculation version 1.0.1

Review policy

Definition: Mountain Time (MT) is the civil time used in Denver and much of the U.S. Mountain West. On the IANA zone America/Denver it is Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC−07:00) in winter and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT, UTC−06:00) in summer when Daylight Saving Time is in effect.
What it calculates: Current local date and time in the America/Denver time zone (Denver / U.S. Mountain Time).
Inputs: None — uses the device clock and the IANA zone America/Denver
Outputs: Local time (24-hour style from the browser formatter)
Local calendar date
Formula: Display = Intl.DateTimeFormat with timeZone America/Denver
Assumptions: Device clock and OS timezone database are reasonably correct.
Covers Denver and other America/Denver locales; Arizona uses America/Phoenix instead.
Runs locally in the browser; no server round-trip for the clock.
Units: Civil local time (hours, minutes, seconds)
UTC offset MST −7 / MDT −6
Boundary conditions: On DST spring-forward, 02:00–02:59 MST does not occur
On DST fall-back, 01:00–01:59 MST occurs twice
Example: 12:00 UTC in MST → 05:00; in MDT → 06:00
Validation cases: 3 published on this page
UTC 12:00 during MST → 05:00 America/Denver
UTC 12:00 during MDT → 06:00 America/Denver
Same instant as America/Chicago → Denver is 1 hour earlier
Specification basis: IANA time zone database — America/Denver
U.S. Energy Policy Act DST schedule (second Sunday in March / first Sunday in November)
Mountain Time Zone offsets UTC−7 / UTC−6
Calculation version: 1.0.1

Background

Interpretation and common distinctions.

Current time in Denver, Colorado

This page shows a live local clock for Denver, using the IANA zone America/Denver. Time is read from your browser with that zone applied — the same Mountain Time used across Colorado and much of the U.S. Mountain West.

Denver is the largest city in the Mountain Time Zone, so its clock is the usual reference for the region.

Mountain Time (MST / MDT)

Season	Name	Abbreviation	UTC offset
Winter (standard)	Mountain Standard Time	MST	UTC−7
Summer (daylight)	Mountain Daylight Time	MDT	UTC−6

Together these are often labeled Mountain Time (MT). Prefer UTC offsets or the IANA id when accuracy matters: “MST” alone can mean either Denver in winter or Arizona all year.

Daylight Saving Time

Denver observes U.S. Daylight Saving Time (same calendar rule as most of the Lower 48):

Spring forward — second Sunday in March at 02:00 MST → clocks jump to 03:00 MDT (UTC−7 → UTC−6).
Fall back — first Sunday in November at 02:00 MDT → clocks return to 01:00 MST (UTC−6 → UTC−7).

For 2026, Denver moved to MDT on 8 March and returns to MST on 1 November (see the schedule table in the specification). Not every U.S. place observes DST — Hawaii and most of Arizona (Phoenix) stay on one offset all year.

How Mountain Time compares

When both sides share the same DST status:

Pacific Time (Los Angeles): Denver is 1 hour ahead.
Central Time (Chicago): Denver is 1 hour behind.
Eastern Time (New York): Denver is 2 hours behind.
Alaska Time (Anchorage): Denver is 2 hours ahead.
UTC: Denver is 7 hours behind in winter, 6 hours behind in summer.

Versus year-round zones:

Phoenix (MST, UTC−7): same time in winter; Denver is 1 hour ahead in summer.
Hawaii (HST, UTC−10): Denver is 3 hours ahead in winter, 4 hours ahead in summer.

Denver vs Phoenix — the Arizona exception

Both cities sit in the Mountain Time Zone, but only Denver changes clocks. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) stays on MST year-round, so the two cities read the same time from November to March and differ by one hour from March to November. When scheduling with Arizona, name the date as well as the time.

Which places use this clock?

America/Denver covers Denver and most of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, southern Idaho, and much of New Mexico. Some counties near a zone boundary use Central or Pacific Time instead, and Arizona uses America/Phoenix. For a specific town near the line, confirm its IANA zone.

UTC vs GMT

For everyday scheduling, UTC and GMT both mean offset +0. UTC is the modern atomic-clock standard; this clock is defined relative to UTC. Example: noon UTC is 05:00 MST or 06:00 MDT.

Other calculators in this family: Phoenix Time, Chicago / Central Time, Los Angeles Time, New York Time, Alaska / Anchorage Time, UTC Time .

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Frequently asked questions

Key distinctions behind the calculation.

What time zone is Denver in?

Denver uses Mountain Time. The IANA identifier is America/Denver. Winter is MST (UTC−7); summer daylight time is MDT (UTC−6).

What is the difference between MST and MDT?

MST (Mountain Standard Time) is UTC−7 and is used in winter. MDT (Mountain Daylight Time) is UTC−6 and is used when Daylight Saving Time is in effect. Together they are often called Mountain Time (MT).

Does Denver observe Daylight Saving Time?

Yes. Clocks spring forward on the second Sunday in March (02:00 MST → 03:00 MDT) and fall back on the first Sunday in November (02:00 MDT → 01:00 MST).

Is Phoenix the same time as Denver?

Only in winter. Most of Arizona stays on MST (UTC−7) all year, so Phoenix matches Denver during MST but is one hour behind Denver during MDT. The Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona does observe DST.

How does Denver time compare to New York or Los Angeles?

Mountain Time is two hours behind Eastern Time and one hour ahead of Pacific Time whenever both regions are on standard time or both are on daylight time (they share the same U.S. DST change dates).

Which states use Mountain Time?

Colorado, Utah, most of New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho south of the Salmon River, and parts of neighboring states. Arizona is Mountain Standard year-round. Some states straddle a zone boundary, so confirm a specific town near the line.

Why use America/Denver instead of “MST”?

IANA zone IDs encode the correct UTC offset and DST rules for computers. Writing “MST” is ambiguous because it can mean either Denver’s winter offset or Arizona’s year-round time. This clock uses America/Denver so the browser applies the official transition table.

What is UTC?

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the global time standard. Zone offsets are written as hours ahead of (+) or behind (−) UTC. Denver is UTC−7 in winter and UTC−6 in summer.