Americas · Central America · Sovereign state
Current time in Costa Rica
A single time zone at UTC-06:00.
Saturday, May 30, 2026
About Costa Rica's time
A single time zone.
Costa Rica keeps things simple with a single time zone (CST, UTC-6) used nationwide and no daylight saving time—making it one of the most straightforward countries to plan your trip.
Major cities
Cities of Costa Rica.
History
How Costa Rica keeps time.
Costa Rica adopted its standard time of UTC-6 in the early 20th century, aligning with the Central American regional standard. The country briefly observed Daylight Saving Time during the 1970s and 1990s, aimed at energy conservation during peak demand periods. However, the practice was abandoned permanently in 1996, as the minimal energy savings and disruption to daily life outweighed any benefits for a tropical nation with relatively consistent daylight hours year-round.
Did you know?
Things about Costa Rica's time.
As a tropical country near the equator, Costa Rica experiences minimal variation in daylight throughout the year—making DST largely pointless. Sunrise and sunset times vary by only about an hour between the longest and shortest days. This consistency means minimal disruption to daily schedules, which aligns well with the country's emphasis on sustainable living and simplicity. The single time zone also simplifies logistics for tourism, which is a major part of Costa Rica's economy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Costa Rica's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Does Costa Rica observe daylight saving time?
- No, Costa Rica does not observe DST. Local time remains constant throughout the year at UTC-6, which simplifies planning for travelers and remote workers.
- How does Costa Rica's time compare to US time zones?
- Costa Rica is in the same time zone as US Central Time (CST/CDT). However, Costa Rica does not observe DST, so during U.S. Daylight Saving Time (March–November), Costa Rica is 1 hour behind Central Daylight Time.
- What time zone is Costa Rica in?
- Costa Rica uses Central Standard Time (CST), which is UTC-6. The entire country uses the IANA time zone America/Costa_Rica.
- What are the sunrise and sunset times in Costa Rica?
- Due to its tropical location near the equator, sunrise and sunset times in Costa Rica vary little throughout the year. Sunrise typically occurs around 5:30–6:15 AM, and sunset around 5:30–6:30 PM, depending on the month and specific location.
- How many time zones does Costa Rica have?
- Costa Rica has one time zone covering the entire country: America/Costa_Rica (UTC-6).
- When is the best time to schedule calls between Costa Rica and the US?
- Outside of U.S. DST months, Costa Rica aligns directly with US Central Standard Time. During DST (March–November), add one hour to Costa Rica time when scheduling with Central Time callers.
Free · Developer API
Time, as JSON.
Every IANA time zone with live offsets, DST status, and the countries and cities that use them — clean, dependable JSON. Sign up free and get an API key in seconds.
countries, cities, convert, DST transitions coming next.
Get your free API key →