Las Vegas stays on Pacific Time

The IANA zone for the city is America/Los_Angeles. That identifier covers the entire state of Nevada in the official database.

Right now Las Vegas sits on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), UTC−7. When daylight saving ends, it shifts to Pacific Standard Time (PST), UTC−8. The city has kept Pacific Time since railroad standards locked it in during 1883.

Still, searchers ask whether any part of Nevada uses Mountain Time. The state rubs shoulders with Utah and Arizona, both on Mountain Time. The answer is yes, but the arrangement is unofficial.

West Wendover: the Mountain Time pocket

West Wendover sits right on the Nevada, Utah state line. Its sister city, Wendover, Utah, lies on the other side. Utah observes Mountain Time. West Wendover’s economy, schools, and daily life tie to Wendover, Utah, not to Las Vegas.

The town unofficially follows Mountain Time. That means:

  • Most of the year, West Wendover runs one hour ahead of Las Vegas.
  • During standard time (winter): West Wendover is UTC−7, Las Vegas is UTC−8.
  • During daylight saving (summer): West Wendover is UTC−6, Las Vegas is UTC−7.

Nevada law does not codify this. It is a practical arrangement. The IANA database lists no separate zone for West Wendover. Look up the official time zone for that location and it still says America/Los_Angeles. But local businesses, schools, and government offices run on Mountain Time.

Drive from Las Vegas to West Wendover and you cross no official time zone boundary. Call a local business there, and their clock reads one hour later than yours.

Does the Las Vegas, West Wendover gap ever close?

No. The offset between Las Vegas and West Wendover stays fixed at one hour, because both observe daylight saving on the same dates.

On 15 January 2026, Las Vegas is on PST (UTC−8). At 12:00 PM in Las Vegas, it is 1:00 PM in West Wendover and 1:00 PM in Salt Lake City. On 15 July 2026, Las Vegas is on PDT (UTC−7). At 12:00 PM in Las Vegas, it is 1:00 PM in West Wendover and 1:00 PM in Salt Lake City. The one-hour gap holds year-round.

If you drive from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, the official time zone change happens at the Utah state line. But West Wendover already runs on Utah time. The practical effect:

  • Las Vegas to West Wendover: gain one hour (Pacific to Mountain, unofficially)
  • West Wendover to Utah: no change
  • West Wendover back to Las Vegas: lose one hour

Why Las Vegas and Phoenix match only half the year

The Nevada, Arizona border creates a different confusion. Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC−7) year-round. It skips daylight saving. So:

  • In summer (March to November): Las Vegas is on PDT (UTC−7), same as Phoenix. No difference.
  • In winter (November to March): Las Vegas is on PST (UTC−8), one hour behind Phoenix (UTC−7).

The Las Vegas, Phoenix time difference is seasonal. For half the year they match. For the other half, Las Vegas trails by an hour. West Wendover, by contrast, always runs one hour ahead of Las Vegas because both it and Utah observe daylight saving.

For more detail on the Arizona situation, see Las Vegas vs Phoenix Time: When They Match & Diverge.

Do Jackpot and other border towns follow Mountain Time?

West Wendover is not the only Nevada town that unofficially follows a different zone. Jackpot, on the Idaho border near the northeast corner of the state, also unofficially observes Mountain Time. Idaho’s border region sits on Mountain Time, so Jackpot aligns with its cross-border neighbor.

Those are the only two places in Nevada that do this. The rest of the state, including Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, and all other cities and towns, follows Pacific Time.

Las Vegas, West Wendover calls and travel: what changes

The rule of thumb: if you are traveling to any part of Nevada that is not West Wendover or Jackpot, assume Pacific Time. If you are going to West Wendover, assume Mountain Time. If you are going to Jackpot, assume Mountain Time.

For phone calls or meetings: if you are in Las Vegas calling West Wendover, add one hour. If you are in West Wendover calling Las Vegas, subtract one hour. If you are in Las Vegas calling Phoenix, check the season.

For more on calling Las Vegas from other time zones, see Best Time to Call Las Vegas From Anywhere: Complete Guide.

When does Las Vegas next change its clocks?

The next clock change for Las Vegas happens on Sunday 14 March 2027 at 02:00 local, when clocks spring forward 60 minutes to 03:00, shifting from PST (UTC−8) to PDT (UTC−7). At that moment, Las Vegas matches Phoenix again. West Wendover stays one hour ahead.