Americas · capital city
What Is the Capital of Colombia?
Bogotá
The capital of Colombia is Bogotá. About 11.5 million people live in the Bogotá urban area — 21.5% of the country's population.
11.5 million
Urban area population
UTC-5
Time zone
4.60°N
Latitude · 74.08°W
Yes
Largest city
Bogotá at a glance
Name origin
Originally named Santa Fe de Bacatá in 1538, after the Chibcha people's nearby settlement of Bacatá; the name was later corrupted to Bogotá.
Time zone
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
4 36 N, 74 05 W · IANA time zone America/Bogota
Location of Colombia
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Largest cities in Colombia
1
Bogota Capital
11.5 million2
Medellin
4.1 million3
Cali
2.9 million4
Barranquilla
2.3 million5
Bucaramanga
1.4 million6
Cartagena
1.1 millionUrban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Lima, Peru — 1,880 km
Brasília, Brazil — 3,665 kmCapitals closest to Bogotá
Quito, Ecuador — 726 km
Panama City, Panama — 773 km
Oranjestad, Aruba — 986 km
Willemstad, Curacao — 1,009 km
Caracas, Venezuela — 1,030 km
San José, Costa Rica — 1,252 km
Kingston, Jamaica — 1,519 km
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago — 1,539 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Bogotá
What is the capital of Colombia?
The capital of Colombia is Bogotá. About 11.5 million people live in the Bogotá urban area — 21.5% of the country's population.
Is Bogotá the largest city in Colombia?
Yes — Bogotá is also the largest urban area of Colombia (11.5 million).
What time zone is Bogotá in?
Bogotá is on UTC-5 — UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.
Where does the name Bogotá come from?
Originally named Santa Fe de Bacatá in 1538, after the Chibcha people's nearby settlement of Bacatá; the name was later corrupted to Bogotá.
Which capital is closest to Bogotá?
Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Quito (Ecuador) is the closest, 726 km away in a straight line.
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).