Time Difference Between Costa Rica and United States
As of 31 August 2026, United States is 2 hours ahead of Costa Rica. That number is not constant. Over the course of a year, because of daylight saving changes, New York, United States ranges from 1 hour ahead to 2 hours ahead relative to San Jose, Costa Rica. The calculator below is always up to date.
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San Jose, Costa Rica
16:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-6 · CST · America/Costa_Rica
New York, United States
+2h18:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-4 · EDT · America/New_York
United States is 2 hours ahead of Costa Rica.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | Monday, August 31, 2026 | CSTAmerica/Costa_Rica | UTC-6 | Not observed |
| United States | Monday, August 31, 2026 | EDTAmerica/New_York | UTC-4 | Active now |
United States: The United States spans six main time zones. This page uses Eastern Time; Pacific Time is 3 hours behind it.
Hour by hour: Costa Rica to United States
Every hour of today in Costa Rica and what it is in United States. Highlighted rows fall inside United States working hours (09:00–18:00).
| Costa Rica | United States |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 02:00 |
| 01:00 | 03:00 |
| 02:00 | 04:00 |
| 03:00 | 05:00 |
| 04:00 | 06:00 |
| 05:00 | 07:00 |
| 06:00 | 08:00 |
| 07:00 | 09:00 |
| 08:00 | 10:00 |
| 09:00 | 11:00 |
| 10:00 | 12:00 |
| 11:00 | 13:00 |
| Costa Rica | United States |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 14:00 |
| 13:00 | 15:00 |
| 14:00 | 16:00 |
| 15:00 | 17:00 |
| 16:00 | 18:00 |
| 17:00 | 19:00 |
| 18:00 | 20:00 |
| 19:00 | 21:00 |
| 20:00 | 22:00 |
| 21:00 | 23:00 |
| 22:00 | 00:00next day |
| 23:00 | 01:00next day |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
09:00–16:00 in Costa Rica (11:00–18:00 in United States)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 7 hours a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
08:00–19:00 in Costa Rica (10:00–21:00 in United States)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
United States puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-4 to UTC-5. After that date, United States is 1 hour ahead of Costa Rica — instead of 2 hours ahead, as it is today.
Planning something with more than two places?
Adding a third city usually kills the obvious answer. The Meeting Time Finder takes up to five cities at once and shows only the hours that work for everybody.
Costa Rica and United States: common questions
What is the time difference between Costa Rica and United States?
As of 31 August 2026, United States is 2 hours ahead of Costa Rica. The gap is not fixed: across the year, United States ranges from 1 hour ahead to 2 hours ahead relative to Costa Rica, as clocks change. The calculator on this page always shows the difference for right now.
When it is 9:00 AM in Costa Rica, what time is it in United States?
It is 11:00 AM in New York, United States. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is United States ahead of or behind Costa Rica?
United States is ahead of Costa Rica by 2 hours at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in United States starts and ends earlier in Costa Rica terms.
Do Costa Rica and United States observe daylight saving time?
United States changes its clocks twice a year; Costa Rica does not. The difference therefore shifts by an hour when United States switches: across the year, United States ranges from 1 hour ahead to 2 hours ahead relative to Costa Rica.
What is the best time to call United States from Costa Rica?
Working hours overlap between 09:00 and 16:00 Costa Rica time, which is 11:00 to 18:00 in United States. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for San Jose, Costa Rica (UTC-6) and New York, United States (UTC-4) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.