Qibla direction in Tampico

How to face the Qibla in Tampico

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 43.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 46.3°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “east” would be off by more than 40°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Tampico.

The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Tampico, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.

Why a flat map shows a different direction

This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Tampico to Mecca points to 90.4° (east), a full 44.1° away from the true Qibla of 46.3° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 878 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Tampico first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 46.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 22.2852° N, 97.8778° W sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.

Distance from Tampico to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 13,333 km from Tampico as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,080 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 11 min, although most pilgrims from Tampico connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Tampico run 9 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Tampico rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Tampico

On 37 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Tampico while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in June (28 days); for example, on 15 June 2027 it happens at 12:27 local time.

On 326 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 15:31.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Tampico (03:18 and 03:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 15:29 and 28 November 2027 at 15:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Tampico points straight to Mecca.

Tampico compared with other cities

The Qibla here is practically the same as in Mexico City (46.6°), and Mecca is 313 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ciudad Valles (121 km), prays towards 45.5°, a difference of 0.7°.

Across the 99 cities in Mexico on this site, the Qibla ranges from 25.5° in Rosarito to 54.2° in Chetumal, a spread of 28.7°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Mexico.

Qibla in cities near Tampico

• Ciudad Valles45.5° · 121 km
• Poza Rica47.3° · 200 km
• Ciudad Victoria44.7° · 207 km
• Tulancingo46.9° · 250 km
• Pachuca46.6° · 257 km
• Teziutlán47.7° · 280 km