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Cauca Department, Colombia

Cauca Department follows Colombia Time, UTC−5, all year. Popayán, Santander de Quilichao and the department’s coastal, Andean and Amazonian communities share one official clock without daylight saving changes.

Popayan, Colombia

Friday, 4 September 2026

UTC−5 · America/Bogota

Time and sun data for Popayan — the largest city of Cauca Department

The sun in Popayan

Sunrise 06:02 Solar noon 12:07 Sunset 18:11 Daylight 12 h 09 min Night 11 h 51 min Civil twilight 05:41 – 18:32

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Current time in Cauca Department, Colombia

The local time shown for Cauca applies across the entire department. It matches the time in the rest of mainland Colombia, allowing appointments, transport schedules and calls to be arranged without converting between domestic time zones.

Colombia Time remains five hours behind UTC in every season. Cauca does not advance its clocks during part of the year. However, the time difference between Cauca and a city abroad may change if that city observes daylight saving time.

Cauca’s landscapes change dramatically from one road to the next; fortunately, its clocks do not.

One clock across Cauca’s varied municipalities

Popayán is the departmental capital and the main reference point for local government and many regional journeys. Santander de Quilichao is a major urban center in northern Cauca, while Puerto Tejada, Patía, Piendamó and Guapi connect different parts of the department’s varied geography.

Places commonly used for local time checks include: Popayán, in the Andean interior Santander de Quilichao, in northern Cauca Puerto Tejada, also in the north Guapi, on the Pacific side of the department

Patía and Piendamó, important points on regional routes All of them use COT. A traveler moving from the Pacific coast through the mountains does not cross an official time boundary. Travel duration, road conditions and elevation may shape the journey, but the clock setting remains unchanged.

How sunrise varies within Cauca

An official time zone covers a broad area, while sunrise depends on a precise position. Eastern locations tend to reach solar events slightly earlier by the clock than western ones. Mountain ridges can delay the first direct view of the Sun, and cloud cover along the Pacific can make dawn appear different from a clear morning inland.

Because Cauca is near the equator, the length of the day changes comparatively little over the course of a year. That does not make sunrise fixed: its clock time moves gradually, and nearby towns can have distinct values because of longitude and terrain.

For farming, hiking, photography or an early road departure, select the municipality and intended date when checking daylight information. Sunrise marks the Sun’s appearance at the horizon under standard calculations; first usable outdoor light begins earlier during dawn. Mountain shadows and local weather may alter what an observer actually sees.

Questions and answers
What is Cauca’s UTC offset?
The department uses UTC−5 under Colombia Time.
Do Popayán and Guapi have the same time?
Yes. Their official clocks agree, though sunrise and sunset occur at slightly different clock times.
Will my phone change time when I enter Cauca?
It should not change when arriving from elsewhere in Colombia. A correctly configured device will continue to show Colombia Time.

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