Current local time in San Jose, Costa Rica
The live clock above shows the time in San Jose. San Jose is in the America/Costa Rica time zone, UTC−6 right now (CST).
| Country | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Region | San José |
| Population | about 643,000 |
| Coordinates | 9.94° N, 84.08° W |
| Time zone | America/Costa Rica |
| Abbreviation | CST |
| UTC offset | UTC−6 |
| Daylight saving time | No |
Daylight saving time
San Jose doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC−6 (CST) all year.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 5:40 AM | 5:47 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | 5:16 AM | 5:59 PM | 12 h 42 min |
| September equinox | 5:25 AM | 5:32 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | 5:48 AM | 5:20 PM | 11 h 32 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over San Jose at about 11:45 AM in mid-January. On standard time, local clocks run about 24 minutes behind the sun, because San Jose sits at 84.1° W, while its time zone is centred on 90.0° W.
San Jose time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 hour ahead in Jan, 2 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 2 hours behind in Jan, 1 hour behind in Jul | |
| London | 6 hours ahead in Jan, 7 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Paris | 7 hours ahead in Jan, 8 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Dubai | 10 hours ahead | |
| Mumbai | 11.5 hours ahead | |
| Shanghai | 14 hours ahead | |
| Tokyo | 15 hours ahead | |
| Sydney | 17 hours ahead in Jan, 16 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Cartago | 18 km (11 mi) | same time |
| Alajuela | 19 km (12 mi) | same time |
| Masaya, Nicaragua | 315 km (196 mi) | same time |
| Managua, Nicaragua | 343 km (213 mi) | same time |
| Matagalpa, Nicaragua | 387 km (241 mi) | same time |
| Leon, Nicaragua | 413 km (256 mi) | same time |
| Esteli, Nicaragua | 430 km (267 mi) | same time |
| Chinandega, Nicaragua | 447 km (278 mi) | same time |
Other cities in Costa Rica
Questions people ask
What time zone is San Jose in?
San Jose is in the America/Costa Rica time zone, UTC−6, all year.
Does San Jose have daylight saving time?
San Jose doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC−6 (CST) all year.
Why isn't noon in San Jose when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. San Jose's clocks follow a zone centred on 90.0° W, so on standard time they run about 24 minutes behind the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
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Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).