San José keeps UTC−6 (CST) all year. There is no daylight saving time, so the clock never changes.
San José and your time
San José at a glance
| Country | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Region | San José |
| Capital of | Costa Rica |
| Time zone | America/Costa_Rica |
| Abbreviation now | CST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−6 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed since 1992 |
| Coordinates | 9.93° N, 84.08° W |
San José time zone and clock changes
San José follows the America/Costa_Rica time zone and stays on UTC−6 all year. Clocks here last changed for daylight saving time in 1992; the tz database lists no change after that.
As the capital of Costa Rica, San José shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in San José, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in San José for 2026 or 2027.
How far ahead or behind San José is
A 9:00 AM start in San José is 3:00 PM in London, 2:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 7:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 7 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 1 h behind | 6 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 2 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 8 h ahead | 1 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 10 h ahead | 10 h ahead | 10 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 11 h 30 min ahead | 11 h 30 min ahead | 11 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 15 h ahead | 15 h ahead | 15 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 17 h ahead | 17 h ahead | 16 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 2 h |
Because San José keeps one offset all year, any change in the gap comes from the other city’s daylight saving time. Compare the January and July columns.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise and sunset in San José
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Close to the equator, days in San José last between 11 hours 33 minutes and 12 hours 42 minutes, so evenings get dark at about the same time all year.
Daylight through the year in San José
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 5:40 AM | 5:47 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:17 AM | 5:59 PM | 12 h 42 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 5:26 AM | 5:32 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 5:48 AM | 5:21 PM | 11 h 33 min |
When the sun is highest in San José
San José lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 11:35 AM on standard time, close to clock noon.
Cities near San José
Every city below shares San José’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masaya (Nicaragua) | 316 km (196 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Managua (Nicaragua) | 340 km (211 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Matagalpa (Nicaragua) | 388 km (241 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| León (Nicaragua) | 413 km (256 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Chinandega (Nicaragua) | 447 km (278 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as San José today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
Tools for time in San José
- Convert a time to or from San José: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add San José to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in San José and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is San José in?
San José uses the America/Costa_Rica time zone, which is UTC−6 (CST) all year.
Does San José use daylight saving time?
Not any more. San José last changed its clocks for daylight saving time in 1992 and now stays on UTC−6 all year.
What is the time difference between San José and London?
San José is 6 hours behind London in January and 7 hours behind London in July, because London moves its clocks for daylight saving time and San José does not.
How long is the longest day in San José?
About 12 hours 42 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 11 hours 33 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.