Americas · capital city
What Is the Capital of Guatemala?
The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City. About 3.1 million people live in the Guatemala City urban area — 16.6% of the country's population.
Guatemala City at a glance
Name origin
The Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala" .
Time zone
UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
14 37 N, 90 31 W · IANA time zone America/Guatemala
Location of Guatemala
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Capitals closest to Guatemala City
San Salvador, El Salvador — 175 km
Belmopan, Belize — 347 km
Tegucigalpa, Honduras — 360 km
Managua, Nicaragua — 538 km
San José, Costa Rica — 871 km
Mexico City, Mexico — 1,061 km
George Town, Cayman Islands — 1,102 km
Havana, Cuba — 1,277 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Guatemala City
What is the capital of Guatemala?
Is Guatemala City the largest city in Guatemala?
What time zone is Guatemala City in?
Where does the name Guatemala City come from?
Which capital is closest to Guatemala City?
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).