Mexico to AST
+2hMexico
CSTSOURCEAST
ASTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
CST and AST on the World Map
The map below highlights the CST (Central Standard Time) and AST (Atlantic Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
CST – Central Standard Time
UTC-06:00Central Standard Time (CST) is the time zone for the central United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6 hours behind UTC.
- •CST covers 20 US states fully or partially.
- •Chicago and Houston are the two largest cities in the Central Time Zone.
- •Mexico City, one of the world's most populous cities, operates on CST.
- •CST is 1 hour behind EST and 2 hours ahead of PST.
AST – Atlantic Standard Time
UTC-04:00Atlantic Standard Time (AST) is the time zone for the Canadian Atlantic provinces and the Caribbean, 4 hours behind UTC.
- •Puerto Rico uses AST year-round and does not observe DST.
- •AST is 1 hour ahead of EST.
- •Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, is the largest city in AST Canada.
Everything You Need to Know About Mexico and AST Time
Mexico runs on Central Standard Time (CST) at UTC-06:00. AST runs on Atlantic Standard Time (AST) at UTC-04:00. That puts Mexico 2 hours ahead of AST — a difference of +2h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Mexico it is 11:00 AM in AST. Midnight in Mexico is 2:00 AM in AST. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
Mexico to AST time conversion table
| Mexico (CST) | AST (AST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 2:00 AM | same day |
| 6:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 9:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 11:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 5:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 7:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 8:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 11:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert Mexico to AST time
- Scheduling a call from Mexico to AST: a 10:00 AM start in Mexico lands at 12:00 PM in AST, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both Mexico and AST are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM CST time (11:00 AM–5:00 PM AST). That is roughly 6 hours of usable overlap.
- Keeping family and friends in sync: knowing that 8:00 PM in Mexico is 10:00 PM in AST makes it easy to avoid calling at 3 AM.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM CST" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a +2h gap is not.
- Block 9:00 AM–3:00 PM CST as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Mexico and need AST colleagues present.
About CST (Central Standard Time)
Central Standard Time (CST) covers the central region of North America. It is the second most populous time zone in the US, including major cities like Chicago, Houston, and Dallas. CST is also used in Mexico City and much of Central America including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. During summer, most of the US and Canada switch to Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-05:00), while Mexico and Central American countries generally remain on CST.
About AST (Atlantic Standard Time)
Atlantic Standard Time (AST) covers Canada's Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and most of Labrador), as well as several Caribbean nations. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands use AST year-round without daylight saving time. The Canadian provinces switch to Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT) in summer.
Best time to call between Mexico and AST
Both Mexico and AST sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 9:00 AM–3:00 PM CST, which is 11:00 AM–5:00 PM AST. That gives roughly 6 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
Mexico and AST share 6 hours of working-hours overlap (9:00 AM–3:00 PM CST), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
Mexico is 2 hours ahead of AST (CST UTC-06:00 → AST UTC-04:00). The shared working window is 9:00 AM–3:00 PM CST. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
🕐 Daylight Saving Time Info
Mexico
Does not observe DST
AST
☀ Currently in DST
Standard: UTC-04:00 · DST: UTC-03:00
Clocks fall back on Sun, Nov 1, 2026
Learn More About Time
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of timekeeping, time zones, and how they shape our global society:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between Mexico and AST?
Mexico (CST, UTC-06:00) is 2 hours ahead of AST (AST, UTC-04:00). The gap is currently +2h.
How do I convert Mexico time to AST time?
Add +2h to Mexico local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Mexico is 11:00 AM in AST.
What time is it in AST right now?
AST uses AST at UTC-04:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the +2h offset from Mexico.
What is the best time to call AST from Mexico?
Call between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM CST — that maps to 11:00 AM–5:00 PM AST and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is ahead, Mexico or AST?
Mexico is 2 hours ahead of AST. When it is 12:00 PM in Mexico it is 2:00 PM in AST.
Do Mexico and AST use different time zones?
Mexico (Mexico) uses CST at UTC-06:00, while AST uses AST at UTC-04:00. The IANA identifiers are America/Mexico_City and America/Halifax.
Does daylight saving time affect the Mexico–AST difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the +2h offset between Mexico and AST is fixed all year.
Which other cities share Mexico's time zone?
CST also covers Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Mexico City, Austin, Winnipeg, Memphis and 6 more.
Which countries use CST, Mexico's zone?
CST is used in United States (Central), Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and 1 more.
Is there a day difference between Mexico and AST?
Not normally. The +2h gap only pushes the date over for late-evening times.
What is the time difference between Mexico and AST?
AST is +2h from Mexico.
What timezone is Mexico in?
Mexico operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is AST in?
AST operates on its local timezone.
Which countries use CST (Central Standard Time)?
CST is used in United States (Central), Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and 3 more countries.
Does CST observe daylight saving time?
Yes, CST switches to CDT during summer months.
What are some interesting facts about CST?
CST covers 20 US states fully or partially. Chicago and Houston are the two largest cities in the Central Time Zone.
Which cities are in the AST timezone?
Major cities in the AST timezone include Halifax, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Caracas, La Paz, Fredericton, Charlottetown.
What is the UTC offset for AST?
Atlantic Standard Time (AST) is at UTC-04:00. During daylight saving time, it shifts to ADT.
What should I know about the AST timezone?
Puerto Rico uses AST year-round and does not observe DST. AST is 1 hour ahead of EST.
When is it midnight in Mexico, what time is it in AST?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in Mexico (CST), it is +2h later in AST (AST).
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