Americas · capital city
What Is the Capital of Ecuador?
Quito
The capital of Ecuador is Quito. About 2.0 million people live in the Quito urban area — 10.7% of the country's population.
2.0 million
Urban area population
UTC-5
Time zone
0.22°S
Latitude · 78.50°W
No
Largest city: Guayaquil
Quito at a glance
Name origin
Named after the Quitu, a Pre-Columbian people who lived in the area; the meaning of their name is unknown.
Time zone
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
0 13 S, 78 30 W · IANA time zone America/Guayaquil
Location of Ecuador
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
Largest cities in Ecuador
1
Guayaquil
3.1 million2
Quito Capital
2.0 millionUrban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Capitals closest to Quito
Bogotá, Colombia — 726 km
Panama City, Panama — 1,028 km
San José, Costa Rica — 1,287 km
Lima, Peru — 1,325 km
Managua, Nicaragua — 1,618 km
Oranjestad, Aruba — 1,696 km
Willemstad, Curacao — 1,730 km
Caracas, Venezuela — 1,752 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Quito
What is the capital of Ecuador?
The capital of Ecuador is Quito. About 2.0 million people live in the Quito urban area — 10.7% of the country's population.
Is Quito the largest city in Ecuador?
No. The largest urban area is Guayaquil (3.1 million), while Quito has about 2.0 million.
What time zone is Quito in?
Quito is on UTC-5 — UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.
Where does the name Quito come from?
Named after the Quitu, a Pre-Columbian people who lived in the area; the meaning of their name is unknown.
Which capital is closest to Quito?
Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Bogotá (Colombia) 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).