Time in Costa Rica
It is 5:00 PM on September 3, 2026 in San José. All of Costa Rica runs on America/Costa_Rica (CST), UTC-06:00. Costa Rica does not move its clocks for daylight saving time.
What time is it in Costa Rica right now?
Which time zones does Costa Rica use?
| Time zone | UTC offset | Daylight saving | Largest city | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| America/Costa_Rica | UTC-06:00 CST | Not observed | San José | 40 |
Zone count and offsets come from the IANA time zone database; the city figures count the 40 cities our database places in a time zone in Costa Rica, all of them listed below.
- Capital
- San José
- Dialing code
- +506
- Local time
- UTC-06:00
Does Costa Rica use daylight saving time?
No. San José stays on CST (UTC-06:00) all year, so the gap with your own clock never moves.
When is the best time to call Costa Rica from the US?
Office hours are taken as 09:00 to 17:00 on both sides, and the window is computed to the half hour.
| US office | Window in San José | Same window in the US |
|---|---|---|
| US Eastern (New York) | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| US Pacific (Los Angeles) | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
When does the sun rise and set in San José today?
Major cities in Costa Rica
16 of 40 cities
Time in Costa Rica: common questions
What is the UTC offset in Costa Rica?
San José is on UTC-06:00 right now (CST). Costa Rica has one time zone, America/Costa_Rica, so that offset applies across the country.
How many time zones does Costa Rica have?
One. The IANA time zone database carries a single identifier for Costa Rica, America/Costa_Rica, so one offset answers for the whole country.
When do the clocks change in Costa Rica?
They do not change. San José stays on CST (UTC-06:00) all year, and the IANA time zone database schedules no upcoming change.
What is the time difference between Costa Rica and the United States?
San José is 2:00 behind New York and 1:00 ahead of Los Angeles right now. Both gaps shift whenever one side starts or ends daylight saving time.
Can I reach Costa Rica during US office hours?
Call San José between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM local time to land inside a working day in US Eastern (New York), which is 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM there. Call San José between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time to land inside a working day in US Pacific (Los Angeles), which is 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM there.
What time does the sun rise and set in San José?
Today the sun rises at 5:25 AM and sets at 5:45 PM, local time in San José. Both are computed from the city's own coordinates and its IANA time zone.