Americas · Central America · Sovereign state

Current time in Guatemala

A single time zone at UTC-06:00.

Time in Guatemala City☟ Night
21:26:44

Saturday, May 30, 2026

☟ NIGHT 05:3111:5918:27
Zone
CST
UTC
UTC-06:00
IANA
America/Guatemala

About Guatemala's time

A single time zone.

Guatemala operates on a single, straightforward timezone—Central Standard Time (UTC−6) year-round, with no daylight saving time adjustments to worry about.

Major cities

Cities of Guatemala.

Guatemala City
21:26
21:26:44 · CST
 UTC-06:00

History

How Guatemala keeps time.

Guatemala adopted Central Standard Time (UTC−6) as its national standard in the early 20th century, aligning with neighboring Central American countries for trade and communication efficiency. The country briefly experimented with daylight saving time during the early 2000s as part of regional energy-saving efforts implemented by the ComisiĂłn Nacional de EnergĂ­a ElĂ©ctrica (CNEE), but the practice was ultimately abandoned due to mixed results and public confusion. Since then, Guatemala has maintained a consistent UTC−6 offset without seasonal changes.

Did you know?

Things about Guatemala's time.

Fact · 01

Guatemala's single, DST-free timezone simplifies scheduling across the country—from bustling Guatemala City to remote highland communities. Its alignment with US Central Time makes coordination with Mexico and the southern US relatively seamless, though unlike neighboring Honduras or Guatemala's own brief DST period, there's no risk of clock confusion or missed connections.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Guatemala's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].

Does Guatemala observe daylight saving time?
No, Guatemala does not observe daylight saving time. It remains on UTC−6 (Central Standard Time) throughout the year.
What is the time difference between Guatemala and New York?
Guatemala is 1 hour behind New York during standard time and 2 hours behind during daylight saving time in the Eastern Time Zone.
Is it the same time throughout Guatemala?
Yes, the entire country uses a single timezone—America/Guatemala (UTC−6)—with no regional variations.
Can I set my watch to Central Time in the US?
Yes, Guatemala matches US Central Standard Time, but be mindful that during US daylight saving periods (spring to fall), you'll be 1 hour behind.
When is the best time to coordinate calls between Guatemala and US Central Time?
Between November and March, Guatemala and US Central Time are the same. During spring and fall transitions, allow a 1-hour offset.
Does Guatemala share its timezone with any other Central American countries?
Yes, Guatemala shares UTC−6 with Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Belize, and Costa Rica, though some of these countries occasionally implement daylight saving time.

Free · Developer API

Time, as JSON.

Every IANA time zone with live offsets, DST status, and the countries and cities that use them — clean, dependable JSON. Sign up free and get an API key in seconds.

GET /v1/timezones Live

countries, cities, convert, DST transitions coming next.

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// France's time zones, right now
GET /v1/timezones?country=fr
{
"data": [
{
"iana": "Europe/Paris",
"display_name": "Paris",
"current": {
"utc_offset": "+02:00",
"abbreviation": "CEST",
"is_dst": true
}
}
]
}