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Travel photo of Chile

Americas · capital city

Flag of ChileWhat Is the Capital of Chile?

Santiago

The capital of Chile is Santiago. About 6.9 million people live in the Santiago urban area — 34.8% of the country's population.

6.9 million
Urban area population
UTC-3
Time zone (+ daylight saving)
33.45°S
Latitude · 70.67°W
Yes
Largest city

Santiago at a glance

Name origin

Santiago is named after Saint James, the patron saint of Spain (Santo Iago in Spanish); Valparaiso derives from the Spanish words valle (valley) and paraíso (paradise).

Time zone

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in August; ends second Sunday in May; note - Punta Arenas observes DST throughout the year.

Coordinates

33 27 S, 70 40 W · IANA time zone America/Santiago

Location of Chile

Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Largest cities in Chile

1
Santiago Capital
6.9 million
2
Valparaiso
1.0 million
3
Concepcion
912,000
Urban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)

Frequently asked questions about Santiago

What is the capital of Chile?

The capital of Chile is Santiago. About 6.9 million people live in the Santiago urban area — 34.8% of the country's population.

Is Santiago the largest city in Chile?

Yes — Santiago is also the largest urban area of Chile (6.9 million).

What time zone is Santiago in?

Santiago is on UTC-3 — UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in August; ends second Sunday in May; note - Punta Arenas observes DST throughout the year.

Where does the name Santiago come from?

Santiago is named after Saint James, the patron saint of Spain (Santo Iago in Spanish); Valparaiso derives from the Spanish words valle (valley) and paraíso (paradise).

Which capital is closest to Santiago?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Buenos Aires (Argentina) is the closest, 1,140 km away in a straight line.

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).