Time Difference: Riviera Maya (Mexico) vs. Philadelphia, PA

The time difference varies by season due to differing Daylight Saving Time (DST) observance:

Standard Time (November–March)

• Riviera Maya: Central Standard Time (CST, UTC-6)
• Philadelphia: Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC-5)
• Difference: Philadelphia is 1 hour ahead

Daylight Saving Time (March–November)

• Riviera Maya: Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-5) — Mexico observes DST
• Philadelphia: Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-4)
• Difference: Philadelphia is 1 hour ahead

Important Nuance

Mexico and U.S. DST transitions occur on different dates:

• U.S.: Second Sunday March → First Sunday November
• Mexico (most): First Sunday April → Last Sunday October

During the "mismatch weeks" (late March–early April; late October–early November), the difference temporarily becomes 2 hours (Philadelphia ahead). Verify current offset for specific travel dates.

Riviera Maya follows Quintana Roo state time (aligned with CST/CDT since 2015; previously used EST year-round).