Current Time in Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Check the current local time anywhere in Costa Rica. Below you'll find live clocks for Costa Rica's major cities, its time zone and UTC offset, and its largest cities by population.
Current Time in Major Cities in Costa Rica
- Alajuela Sat 19:40:43
- Liberia Sat 19:40:43
- Limón Sat 19:40:43
- Mercedes Norte Sat 19:40:43
- Paraíso Sat 19:40:43
- Puntarenas Sat 19:40:43
- San Jose Sat 19:40:43
| City | Current Time |
|---|---|
| Alajuela | Sat 19:40:43 |
| Liberia | Sat 19:40:43 |
| Limón | Sat 19:40:43 |
| Mercedes Norte | Sat 19:40:43 |
| Paraíso | Sat 19:40:43 |
| Puntarenas | Sat 19:40:43 |
| San Jose | Sat 19:40:43 |
IANA time zones in Costa Rica
Costa Rica maps to the following IANA time-zone database entries. Open any zone for its current time, UTC offset, daylight-saving rules and the cities and countries that use it.
- America/Costa_Rica CST · UTC−06:00
Does Costa Rica have multiple time zones?
Costa Rica is listed with one main IANA time zone on Alarm.now. That makes the national clock easier to read, but you should still check a specific city clock when scheduling travel, calls, or deadlines.
Why this matters
A country clock is a useful overview, but a city or IANA time-zone page is more precise for travel and scheduling because it identifies the exact rule set, UTC offset, and daylight-saving behavior.
Time in Costa Rica at a glance
| Current main time | 19:40 on Saturday |
|---|---|
| Time zones | 1 (one nationwide time) |
| Daylight saving | No - Same time all year |
| Zone names | CST |
| Capital | San Jose |
| Cities tracked | 7 |
How many time zones does Costa Rica have?
Costa Rica keeps one time zone across the whole country, so the clock reads the same everywhere - Currently UTC-06:00.
Does Costa Rica change its clocks for daylight saving?
No. Costa Rica stays on the same UTC offset all year. There are no daylight saving changes, so you never have to move the clocks. Want the full picture? Read our guide to daylight saving time.
How to convert time in Costa Rica
For a quick UTC comparison using the main displayed clock: 12:00 UTC = 06:00 local time, and 09:00 local time = 15:00 UTC. If Costa Rica has more than one time zone, use the city and IANA zone links on this page for the exact local rule, or drop any two places into the time zone converter to get the answer instantly.
Best time to call or schedule with Costa Rica
For scheduling, start with the live clock above, then check the city page for San Jose or another major city in Costa Rica. City pages include sunrise/sunset, local DST status, and time-difference tables against major world hubs. To compare several places at a glance, line them up side by side on the world clock.
Major cities in Costa Rica
The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. The biggest cities in Costa Rica include San Jose, Limón, Alajuela, Liberia and Paraíso. Open any city to see its live clock, sunrise and sunset times, and how far ahead or behind it is from other places.
💡 Tip: Need the time in a specific city? Use the list above - Every city in Costa Rica has its own live clock and time-difference table.
Time in Costa Rica - Frequently asked questions
How many time zones does Costa Rica have?
Costa Rica uses one time zone nationwide.
Does Costa Rica use daylight saving time?
No - Costa Rica keeps the same UTC offset all year.
What time is it in Costa Rica right now?
It is about 19:40 on Saturday in the main time zone of Costa Rica. The clock above updates every second.
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
The capital of Costa Rica is San Jose. Open its page to see the current local time there.
How Alarm.now builds the Costa Rica time page
Country, city, and IANA time-zone data
This page connects Costa Rica to its live city clocks, listed IANA time zone, UTC offset, and daylight-saving context. The capital city is San Jose, and each linked city page gives the more precise local clock and scheduling notes.
Country time reference
The identifiers and counts below clarify which country, cities, and time zones the clocks on this page represent.
| Country | Costa Rica 🇨🇷 |
|---|---|
| ISO identifiers | CR / CRI |
| Capital city clock | San Jose |
| Cities shown | 7 city clocks |
| IANA time zones | 1 listed zone |
| Representative UTC offset | UTC−06:00 |
Where to go next
From this country overview, continue to San Jose time, the IANA time-zone index, and the time zone converter for future-date checks.
When to use a city page instead
Use this country page for the overview. Use a specific city or IANA time zone page when you need the exact rule set for calendars, travel, code, or future meetings.