Americas · capital city
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.
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
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Capitals closest to Santiago
Buenos Aires, Argentina — 1,140 km
Montevideo, Uruguay — 1,342 km
Asunción, Paraguay — 1,552 km
La Paz, Bolivia — 1,902 km
Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) — 2,277 km
Lima, Peru — 2,466 km
Brasília, Brazil — 3,011 km
Quito, Ecuador — 3,785 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Santiago
What is the capital of Chile?
Is Santiago the largest city in Chile?
What time zone is Santiago in?
Where does the name Santiago come from?
Which capital is closest to Santiago?
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).