Today, Friday, October 2, 2026, the Sun rises at 05:24 and sets at 17:26 in Costa Rica (local time, based on San Jose). That gives 12h 1min of daylight, with solar noon at 11:25.
The Sun today
It's nighttime now Sunrise in 9h 36min.
Compared with yesterday, today is 32s shorter, and tomorrow will be 32s shorter than today: days are getting shorter.
Today's timeline: twilight, sunrise and sunset
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical twilight begins (Sun 18° below the horizon) | 04:15 |
| Nautical twilight begins (12° below) | 04:39 |
| Civil twilight begins (6° below) | 05:03 |
| Sunrise | 05:24 |
| Solar noon | 11:25 |
| Sunset | 17:26 |
| Civil twilight ends | 17:47 |
| Nautical twilight ends | 18:11 |
| Astronomical twilight ends | 18:35 |
Dawn and dusk are not instant. Today in Costa Rica, civil twilight begins 21 minutes before sunrise, so it is already light enough to walk outdoors at 05:03, and it fades about 21 minutes after sunset. Close to the tropics twilight is short, because the Sun sinks almost vertically. Photographers often plan around the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, when the light is warm and soft, and drivers, cyclists and runners can use these times to know when to switch on lights.
Next 14 days
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Solar noon | Length | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 2 | 05:24 | 17:26 | 11:25 | 12h 1min | -32s |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 05:24 | 17:25 | 11:25 | 12h 0min | -32s |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 05:24 | 17:25 | 11:25 | 12h 0min | -32s |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 05:24 | 17:24 | 11:24 | 11h 59min | -32s |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 05:24 | 17:23 | 11:24 | 11h 59min | -32s |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 05:24 | 17:23 | 11:24 | 11h 58min | -32s |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 05:24 | 17:22 | 11:23 | 11h 58min | -32s |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 05:24 | 17:22 | 11:23 | 11h 57min | -32s |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 05:24 | 17:21 | 11:23 | 11h 57min | -32s |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 05:24 | 17:21 | 11:23 | 11h 56min | -31s |
| Mon, Oct 12 | 05:24 | 17:20 | 11:22 | 11h 56min | -31s |
| Tue, Oct 13 | 05:24 | 17:20 | 11:22 | 11h 55min | -32s |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 05:24 | 17:19 | 11:22 | 11h 54min | -31s |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 05:24 | 17:19 | 11:22 | 11h 54min | -31s |
How daylight changes through the year in Costa Rica
The longest day of 2026 is June 20, with 12h 42min of daylight, and the shortest is December 20, with 11h 32min: a seasonal swing of 1h 9min. The earliest sunrise is at 05:14 (May 18) and the latest at 05:58 (January 18); the earliest sunset is at 17:11 (November 6) and the latest at 18:01 (June 30). Because this place is close to the equator, days and nights stay close to 12 hours all year and the seasons are hardly noticeable in the sky.
Monthly table: October 2026
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Length | Civil twilight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 1 | 05:24 | 17:26 | 12h 1min | 05:03 – 17:47 |
| Fri, Oct 2 | 05:24 | 17:26 | 12h 1min | 05:03 – 17:47 |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 05:24 | 17:25 | 12h 0min | 05:03 – 17:46 |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 05:24 | 17:25 | 12h 0min | 05:03 – 17:46 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 05:24 | 17:24 | 11h 59min | 05:03 – 17:45 |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 05:24 | 17:23 | 11h 59min | 05:03 – 17:44 |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 05:24 | 17:23 | 11h 58min | 05:03 – 17:44 |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 05:24 | 17:22 | 11h 58min | 05:03 – 17:43 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 05:24 | 17:22 | 11h 57min | 05:03 – 17:43 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 05:24 | 17:21 | 11h 57min | 05:03 – 17:42 |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 05:24 | 17:21 | 11h 56min | 05:03 – 17:42 |
| Mon, Oct 12 | 05:24 | 17:20 | 11h 56min | 05:03 – 17:41 |
| Tue, Oct 13 | 05:24 | 17:20 | 11h 55min | 05:03 – 17:41 |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 05:24 | 17:19 | 11h 54min | 05:03 – 17:40 |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 05:24 | 17:19 | 11h 54min | 05:03 – 17:40 |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 05:24 | 17:18 | 11h 53min | 05:03 – 17:39 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 05:24 | 17:18 | 11h 53min | 05:03 – 17:39 |
| Sun, Oct 18 | 05:24 | 17:17 | 11h 52min | 05:03 – 17:39 |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 05:25 | 17:17 | 11h 52min | 05:03 – 17:38 |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 05:25 | 17:16 | 11h 51min | 05:03 – 17:38 |
| Wed, Oct 21 | 05:25 | 17:16 | 11h 51min | 05:03 – 17:37 |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 05:25 | 17:16 | 11h 50min | 05:03 – 17:37 |
| Fri, Oct 23 | 05:25 | 17:15 | 11h 50min | 05:03 – 17:37 |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 05:25 | 17:15 | 11h 49min | 05:04 – 17:36 |
| Sun, Oct 25 | 05:25 | 17:15 | 11h 49min | 05:04 – 17:36 |
| Mon, Oct 26 | 05:25 | 17:14 | 11h 48min | 05:04 – 17:36 |
| Tue, Oct 27 | 05:25 | 17:14 | 11h 48min | 05:04 – 17:35 |
| Wed, Oct 28 | 05:26 | 17:14 | 11h 47min | 05:04 – 17:35 |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 05:26 | 17:13 | 11h 47min | 05:04 – 17:35 |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 05:26 | 17:13 | 11h 47min | 05:04 – 17:35 |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 05:26 | 17:13 | 11h 46min | 05:04 – 17:34 |
Where these times come from
All times are calculated astronomically for San Jose (9.93° N, 84.09° W) and shown in the local time zone (America/Costa_Rica, UTC-6). Sunrise and sunset refer to the moment the upper edge of the Sun touches the horizon, already counting atmospheric refraction. They refer to the reference city; other cities in Costa Rica differ by a few minutes for every degree of longitude (about 4 minutes per degree) and by their latitude. In countries that span several time zones, the local clock times can differ a lot. Values are accurate to within about a minute.
See also
- Current time in Costa Rica
- Sunrise and sunset in every state and country
- Moon phase today · Start of the seasons
Other places
Coordinates used: 9.93° N, 84.09° W