What Is the Capital of Latvia? Riga

Q: What time zone is Riga in?

Riga is on UTC+2 — UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Q: Which capital is closest to Riga?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Vilnius (Lithuania) is the closest, 263 km away in a straight line.

Riga at a glance

Name origin

The name's origin is unclear; it may derive from the Old Lithuanian word ringa, meaning "bend" or "curve" and referring to the city's location on the Western Dvina River; alternatively, it may come from the Latvian word ridzina, meaning "stream".

Time zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Coordinates

56 57 N, 24 06 E · IANA time zone Europe/Riga

Location of Latvia

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Riga

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Riga

What is the capital of Latvia?

The capital of Latvia is Riga. About 621,000 people live in the Riga urban area — 33.6% of the country's population.

Is Riga the largest city in Latvia?

Yes — Riga is also the largest urban area of Latvia (621,000).

What time zone is Riga in?

Riga is on UTC+2 — UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Where does the name Riga come from?

The name's origin is unclear; it may derive from the Old Lithuanian word ringa, meaning "bend" or "curve" and referring to the city's location on the Western Dvina River; alternatively, it may come from the Latvian word ridzina, meaning "stream".

Which capital is closest to Riga?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Vilnius (Lithuania) is the closest, 263 km away in a straight line.

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

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