Oceania · capital city
What Is the Capital of Tonga?
Nuku'alofa
The capital of Tonga is Nuku'alofa.
—
Urban area population
UTC+13
Time zone (+ daylight saving)
21.13°S
Latitude · 175.20°W
No
Largest city: Nuku'alofa
Nuku'alofa at a glance
Name origin
Name is said to be composed of the local words nuku, meaning "residence or abode," and alofa, meaning "love;" it may also mean "the south," describing Tonga's position in relation to most other Polynesian islands.
Time zone
UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January.
Coordinates
21 08 S, 175 12 W · IANA time zone Pacific/Tongatapu
Location of Tonga
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Capitals closest to Nuku'alofa
Alofi, Niue — 600 km
Suva, Fiji — 747 km
Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna — 870 km
Apia, Samoa — 891 km
Pago Pago, American Samoa — 900 km
Funafuti, Tuvalu — 1,525 km
Avarua, Cook Islands — 1,600 km
Port-Vila, Vanuatu — 1,768 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Nuku'alofa
What is the capital of Tonga?
The capital of Tonga is Nuku'alofa.
Is Nuku'alofa the largest city in Tonga?
No. The largest urban area is Nuku'alofa (23,000).
What time zone is Nuku'alofa in?
Nuku'alofa is on UTC+13 — UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January.
Where does the name Nuku'alofa come from?
Name is said to be composed of the local words nuku, meaning "residence or abode," and alofa, meaning "love;" it may also mean "the south," describing Tonga's position in relation to most other Polynesian islands.
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).