If you're planning a trip to the "West’s Most Western Town," you might find yourself staring at your phone in total confusion. Honestly, it happens to the best of us. You check the time in Scottsdale, Arizona, and one month it matches Denver, but the next it's aligned with Los Angeles. What gives?
Basically, the question of what time zone is Scottsdale AZ isn't as straightforward as a single label.
Scottsdale stays on Mountain Standard Time (MST) all year long. While most of the United States plays "musical clocks" twice a year, Arizona (with a few tribal exceptions) opted out of the Daylight Saving Time (DST) game decades ago. This creates a weird, shifting relationship with the rest of the country.
The Short Answer: No DST Here
Most of the year, Scottsdale is seven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-7).
In the winter months—specifically from November to March—Scottsdale is on the same time as cities like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque. They are all in the Mountain Time Zone. But here is the kicker: those other cities are using Mountain Standard Time (MST) during those months too.
When spring rolls around and the rest of the country "springs forward," Scottsdale stays put.
From March to November, Denver and its neighbors jump to Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Scottsdale, however, stays on MST. Because Scottsdale doesn't move its clocks, it suddenly finds itself perfectly synced with California and the Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) zone.
So, if you’re trying to call a friend in Scottsdale from New York in July, they are three hours behind you. If you call that same friend in December, they are only two hours behind. It’s a bit of a mental workout.
Why Arizona Ditched the Clock Change
You’ve gotta wonder why a whole state just decided to ignore a national tradition.
It wasn't just to be difficult. It was about the heat.
Back in 1968, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill (SB 1) to officially opt out of the Uniform Time Act of 1966. The reasoning was purely practical: nobody in the Sonoran Desert wants more sunlight in the evening during the summer.
Think about it. When it’s 115 degrees outside in July, the last thing you want is the sun staying up until 9:00 PM. By keeping the clocks where they are, the sun sets "earlier" relative to the workday, allowing the desert to start cooling off at a reasonable hour.
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State Senator Marshall Humphrey and others at the time argued that keeping the sun out later would just drive up air conditioning costs and keep people miserable for longer. They weren't wrong.
The Navajo Nation Exception
Now, just when you think you’ve mastered what time zone is Scottsdale AZ, Arizona throws a curveball.
If you decide to take a day trip from Scottsdale up to the Grand Canyon or the Antelope Canyon area, you might cross into the Navajo Nation. Unlike the rest of the state, the Navajo Nation does observe Daylight Saving Time.
They do this because their land stretches across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. To keep things consistent across their own territory, they follow the federal DST schedule.
And it gets even crazier. The Hopi Reservation, which is completely surrounded by the Navajo Nation, follows the rest of Arizona and does not observe DST.
If you drove from Scottsdale to the Navajo Nation and then through the Hopi Reservation during the summer, your watch would change three times in a single afternoon. You’d basically be time-traveling without a DeLorean.
How This Impacts Your Travel Plans
If you're flying into Phoenix Sky Harbor (the closest airport to Scottsdale), your airline will handle the time adjustment for you. But for everything else, you’ve gotta stay sharp.
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- Tee Times: If you're booking a golf round at Troon North or TPC Scottsdale, double-check your calendar if you're booking from an out-of-state computer. Most booking engines are smart, but a manual error can ruin a morning.
- Business Calls: Don't be that person who calls a Scottsdale business at 6:00 AM because you forgot the three-hour time difference in the summer.
- Dinner Reservations: Old Town Scottsdale is packed in the winter. If you're coming from the East Coast, remember that by the time you're ready for an 8:00 PM dinner, your body thinks it’s 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM.
A Quick Reference for the Rest of 2026
Since we are currently in 2026, here is how the math works for the rest of the year.
From now until March 8, 2026, Scottsdale is in sync with the Mountain Time Zone (Denver).
On March 8, 2026, when everyone else moves their clocks, Scottsdale will stay right where it is. From that point until November 1, 2026, Scottsdale will effectively be on "California time" (Pacific Daylight Time).
It’s honestly kind of nice once you get used to it. No "losing an hour" of sleep in the spring. No "falling back" and getting dark at 4:30 PM in the winter. Arizona just stays steady while the rest of the world wobbles.
Making the Most of Scottsdale Time
Whether you're here for the shopping at Fashion Square or the hiking at Camelback Mountain, understanding the time zone is just the first step.
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The "Arizona time" quirk is part of the local culture. It’s a reminder that the desert dictates the lifestyle here, not some federal mandate from the 60s.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your settings: If you're using a digital calendar to plan a Scottsdale meeting from another state, ensure the event time zone is manually set to "Mountain Standard Time - Phoenix" to avoid "ghost shifts" when the clocks change elsewhere.
- Plan for the Sun: In the summer (March–November), remember that sunrise is incredibly early. If you want to hike without the risk of heatstroke, you’ll want to be on the trail by 5:30 AM MST.
- Confirm the Navajo Nation: If your itinerary involves the Four Corners or northeastern Arizona, explicitly ask your tour guide or hotel what "time" they are currently on to avoid missing your slot.
The desert doesn't care about the clock, but your dinner reservation at The Mission definitely does. Keep your phone on "Set Automatically," and you'll usually be just fine.