Quick answer
The twelve zodiac signs run from Aries, which starts around March 20, to Pisces, which ends around March 20 the following year. Each sign lasts about a month. The exact start and end dates shift by a day or so from year to year and depend on your time zone, so every date range is approximate. If you were born near a change, check a birth chart.
Key takeaways
- Each zodiac sign covers about a month, starting with Aries near the March equinox.
- Sign dates are approximate because the moment the Sun changes sign shifts by about a day from year to year.
- Different websites list different dates because of rounding, time zones and different zodiac systems.
- Your Sun sign is one part of your chart, and your Moon, Venus and rising sign add much more detail.
Looking up your zodiac sign should be simple. Then you notice that one site says Leo starts on July 22, another says July 23, and a third claims your sign is something else entirely. It is enough to make anyone suspicious.
The dates are not random. They follow the Sun's yearly path, and they can be calculated to the minute. The reason they look inconsistent is that the moment the Sun changes sign moves by about a day from year to year, and most lists round it off. Below you will find approximate dates for all twelve signs, the reasons they shift, and how to confirm your own sign if you were born near a change.
What are the dates for each zodiac sign?
Each zodiac sign covers about a month of the year. The table below shows approximate ranges for the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology. The exact start and end can move by a day in either direction depending on the year and your time zone.
| Sign | Approximate dates (vary by year) | Element | Modality | Ruling planet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | About March 20 to April 19 | Fire | Cardinal | Mars |
| Taurus | About April 20 to May 20 | Earth | Fixed | Venus |
| Gemini | About May 21 to June 20 | Air | Mutable | Mercury |
| Cancer | About June 21 to July 22 | Water | Cardinal | Moon |
| Leo | About July 23 to August 22 | Fire | Fixed | Sun |
| Virgo | About August 23 to September 22 | Earth | Mutable | Mercury |
| Libra | About September 23 to October 22 | Air | Cardinal | Venus |
| Scorpio | About October 23 to November 21 | Water | Fixed | Pluto (traditionally Mars) |
| Sagittarius | About November 22 to December 21 | Fire | Mutable | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | About December 22 to January 19 | Earth | Cardinal | Saturn |
| Aquarius | About January 20 to February 18 | Air | Fixed | Uranus (traditionally Saturn) |
| Pisces | About February 19 to March 20 | Water | Mutable | Neptune (traditionally Jupiter) |
If your birthday is within a day of the start or end of a range, treat the table as a starting point only. Our guide to being born on a cusp explains exactly how to check.
Why are zodiac dates only approximate?
Zodiac dates are approximate because the calendar and the Sun do not line up perfectly. The Sun takes about 365.24 days to return to the same spot in the sky, but a calendar year has 365 days.
That quarter day adds up. Each year, the Sun enters each sign roughly six hours later on the clock than the year before. Then a leap day resets it. Across a four year cycle, the same sign change can land on different dates. Longer calendar rules, like skipping some leap days at century years, nudge it further over time.
It helps to know what a sign actually is. Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which splits the Sun's yearly path into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees. It starts at the March equinox, the moment in March when day and night are roughly equal around the world. So Aries always begins at the equinox, whatever the date on the calendar says. The Sun moves about one degree a day, which is why each sign lasts about a month.
Why do different websites list different dates?
Different websites list different dates for three main reasons: rounding, time zones and different zodiac systems.
- Rounding. Most lists pick one typical date and print it as if it never changes. One site might round Leo's start to July 22 and another to July 23. Both are right in some years.
- Time zones. The Sun enters a sign at one moment worldwide, but that moment can fall on different local dates. A sign change late in the evening in New York is already the next day in Tokyo.
- Different zodiacs. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is tied to the stars rather than the seasons. It currently sits about 24 degrees from the tropical zodiac, so sidereal dates run roughly three to four weeks later. Our explainer on tropical vs sidereal zodiacs covers this.
There is also a fourth source of confusion: the constellations. The star patterns called Aries, Taurus and so on are unequal in size, and in 1930 the International Astronomical Union drew official boundaries around them. By those boundaries, the Sun also passes through Ophiuchus. That is astronomy, not astrology, and it does not change tropical signs. Our article on Ophiuchus and the 13th sign explains why.
What do the elements and modalities mean?
The element and modality columns describe the basic style of each sign. They are shorthand astrologers use to group the twelve signs.
- Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): energy, enthusiasm, action.
- Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): practical, grounded, steady.
- Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): ideas, conversation, connection.
- Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): feeling, intuition, emotional depth.
- Cardinal signs start things. Fixed signs sustain things. Mutable signs adapt and change.
A sign's ruling planet is the planet astrologers associate most closely with it. Some signs have both a modern ruler and a traditional one, from before Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered. For more, see our guide to elements and modalities.
What are the zodiac signs by month?
Every month contains the end of one sign and the start of the next. Here is a quick month by month guide, with the usual changeover dates:
- January: Capricorn, then Aquarius from about the 20th.
- February: Aquarius, then Pisces from about the 19th.
- March: Pisces, then Aries from about the 20th.
- April: Aries, then Taurus from about the 20th.
- May: Taurus, then Gemini from about the 21st.
- June: Gemini, then Cancer from about the 21st.
- July: Cancer, then Leo from about the 23rd.
- August: Leo, then Virgo from about the 23rd.
- September: Virgo, then Libra from about the 23rd.
- October: Libra, then Scorpio from about the 23rd.
- November: Scorpio, then Sagittarius from about the 22nd.
- December: Sagittarius, then Capricorn from about the 22nd.
If your birthday is within a day of a changeover, the year, time and place decide your sign.
Is your Sun sign the most important sign in your chart?
Your Sun sign is important, but it is only one of many placements. For love and relationships especially, your Moon, Venus and rising sign often say more.
Your Moon sign shows your emotional needs. It changes sign about every 2.5 days, so it can differ from your Sun. Your Venus sign shows what attracts you, and it is always in your Sun sign or within two signs of it. Your rising sign shows how you come across, and it changes about every 2 hours, so it needs your birth time. Our guide to Sun, Moon and rising signs explains the trio.
If you want to see what your Sun sign says about love, start with guides like Scorpio in love or Libra in love. Then look deeper. You can see your Venus and Moon free in about 90 seconds, and Venara will show which placements your love archetype came from.
How do you confirm your zodiac sign?
Confirm it with a birth chart, which uses your exact birth details instead of rounded dates. Three steps:
- Check the table. If your birthday is well inside a range, you are done.
- If you are near a change, find your birth time. Your birth certificate is the best source.
- Run a chart with your date, time and city. It calculates where the Sun actually was, which settles the question.
The Sun's position is real astronomy, measured precisely. Its meaning is a symbolic tradition that many people use for reflection. Getting your sign right simply means you are reflecting on the right starting point.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 zodiac signs in order?
The 12 zodiac signs in order are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. The order starts with Aries because the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology begins at the March equinox, when the Sun enters Aries. Each sign covers 30 degrees of the Sun's yearly path.
Why do zodiac sign dates change?
Zodiac sign dates change because the solar year is about 365.24 days long while the calendar year is 365 days, with leap days added to catch up. As a result, the moment the Sun enters each sign drifts by a few hours each year and can land on a different date. Time zones also change the local date of each shift.
What zodiac sign is someone born on the 20th or 21st?
It depends on the month, the year, the time of day and the time zone. Many sign changes happen between the 19th and 23rd of the month, so birthdays around then can fall in either of two signs. The only reliable way to know is to calculate a birth chart with the exact birth date, time and city.
Is there a 13th zodiac sign?
Not in Western astrology. The Sun passes through the constellation Ophiuchus for part of late November and December, based on the constellation boundaries the International Astronomical Union set in 1930. But the tropical zodiac is based on the seasons, not constellations, and it has always had twelve equal signs. Ophiuchus does not change anyone's tropical sign.
What is my zodiac sign if I was born in December?
If you were born in December, your Sun sign is Sagittarius or Capricorn. Sagittarius runs until about December 21, and Capricorn starts around December 21 or 22. If your birthday is on or near those dates, the exact year, time and time zone decide which sign it is, so check a birth chart to be sure.
Sources
About this article
Written and checked by the Venara editorial team against the sources listed and Venara's chart engine. Astrology here is a tool for reflection, not a prediction or professional advice. How we write and check articles.
For entertainment and self-reflection. Not a substitute for professional advice.