Sun position in San José

Where the sun stands over San José, Costa Rica (9.9339°, -84.0849°) - today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length and shadow length, plus the sun path across the whole year.

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Updated daily
Local time UTC-6
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Sun times in San José on 3 November 2026

Local time in San José, UTC-6, with no daylight saving time.
Sunrise	05:27	rises toward ESE (105°)
Solar noon	11:20	sun 64.8° above the horizon
Sunset	17:12	sets toward WSW (255°)
Day length	11 h 45 min
Civil dawn	05:06	first usable light
Civil dusk	17:34	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	05:27–05:56	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	16:44–17:12	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.47 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 9.9339°, -84.0849° and refreshed every day. For any other date, an exact azimuth or a shadow drawn on the map, open the interactive sun position map for San José.

The sun’s path over San José

How high the sun stands and where, from sunrise to sunset: today, at both solstices and at the equinox. The higher a curve climbs, the higher the sun; where a curve meets the bottom line, the sun rises or sets at that compass bearing.

Today, 3 November
21 June
Equinox, March and September
21 December

The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over San José. On 21 June the sun rises at 66° (ENE), climbs to 76.5° at solar noon and sets at 294° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 114° (ESE), climbs to 56.6° at solar noon and sets at 246° (WSW).

The sun through the year in San José

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length	Noon altitude	Noon shadow
January	05:58	17:34	11 h 37 min	59.0°	0.6 m
February	05:56	17:45	11 h 49 min	67.6°	0.4 m
March	05:43	17:47	12 h 04 min	78.1°	0.2 m
April	05:26	17:47	12 h 21 min	90.0°	0 m
May	05:15	17:50	12 h 35 min	80.9°	0.2 m
June	05:16	17:58	12 h 42 min	76.6°	0.2 m
July	05:23	18:02	12 h 39 min	78.5°	0.2 m
August	05:27	17:54	12 h 27 min	86.1°	0.1 m
September	05:26	17:37	12 h 11 min	82.9°	0.1 m
October	05:25	17:19	11 h 54 min	71.4°	0.3 m
November	05:31	17:11	11 h 40 min	61.5°	0.5 m
December	05:45	17:18	11 h 33 min	56.8°	0.7 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 76.5° above the horizon in San José and the day lasts 12 h 42 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 56.6° and the day shrinks to 11 h 33 min. That difference is what decides whether a garden, a window or a solar array sees the sun in winter. The noon shadow column gives the length of the shadow of anything one metre tall.

San José through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	12 h 42 min, 05:17–17:59
Shortest day	21 December	11 h 33 min, 05:48–17:21
Earliest sunrise	29 May	05:14
Latest sunrise	27 January	05:59
Earliest sunset	16 November	17:11
Latest sunset	12 July	18:02
Highest midday sun	15 April	90.0°, straight overhead
Lowest midday sun	21 December	56.6°
Sunrise direction	through the year	66° ENE (21 June) to 114° ESE (21 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	246° WSW (21 December) to 294° WNW (20 June)

From 15 April to 26 August the midday sun stands north of the zenith, and the rest of the year to the south: in San José even a north-facing window gets the noon sun for part of the year.
The sun passes straight overhead at solar noon on 15 April and 27 August: for a moment upright posts, people and buildings cast no shadow at all.
The longest day in San José is 1 h 10 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 0.6 minutes a day.

The winter solstice 2026: the moment, and the shortest and the longest day, city by city →

When the days start getting longer: the earliest sunset, the latest sunrise and lighter evenings, city by city →

Planning around the sun in San José

Solar panels

At 9.9° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 11°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 9.9339°, -84.0849° for the exact optimum, the seasonal optima and the loss from an east or west facing roof.

Buying a flat or a plot

At the December solstice the noon sun in San José sits 56.6° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 0.7 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the south before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 December.

Photography

Golden hour runs 05:27–05:56 in the morning and 16:44–17:12 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (255°). The golden hour calculator gives the same windows for any date, and the map’s alignment finder shows the days when the setting sun lines up with a street.

More on planning around the sun: which way a house, garden or balcony should face, how long golden hour lasts and why the earliest sunset comes before the shortest day.

Other cities

Near San José

On the same latitude

San José lies at 9.9° N. On the same parallel the longest and the shortest day last just as long and the noon sun climbs just as high, whatever the clocks say there:

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about San José

What time is sunrise and sunset in San José today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 05:27 and sets at 17:12 in San José (UTC-6), giving 11 h 45 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in San José today?

Solar noon is at 11:20, when the sun stands due south, 64.8° above the horizon. It is the middle of the day by the sun and the moment shadows are shortest.

When is the longest day of the year in San José?

On 21 June, with 12 h 42 min between sunrise at 05:17 and sunset at 17:59.

When is the shortest day of the year in San José?

On 21 December, with 11 h 33 min between sunrise at 05:48 and sunset at 17:21.

How high does the sun get in San José?

At solar noon the sun reaches 90.0° on 15 April, its highest of the year, and only 56.6° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 64.8°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in San José?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 66° (ENE) and 114° (ESE), and sunset between 246° (WSW) and 294° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in San José?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 11° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

When is the sun directly overhead in San José?

At solar noon on 15 April and 27 August. On those days upright objects cast no shadow at midday.