Virgo Dates: August 23-September 22 - With the Exact Boundary Dates for Your Birth Year

By Dana Whitmore · 2026-08-15

Wheat sheaves and a pocket watch on a wooden table, marking the start of Virgo season on August 22-23

I once checked a printed mug-style zodiac chart against the 2026 ephemeris and found the problem immediately: the Sun entered Virgo on August 22 at 10:19 PM Eastern, which was already August 23 at 02:19 UTC.

A single date range had made two different answers look interchangeable.

Here, I give you the typical Virgo window, the exact boundary moment for each covered year, and a checker that does not guess when a year is still pending.

Where Virgo Sits in the Zodiac Year

Virgo is the 6th sign in the tropical zodiac, covering 150-180 degrees of ecliptic longitude. The deeper explanation of the zodiac's moving dates and the complete sign sequence belongs on the 12 zodiac signs, so I will keep this recap short.

Virgo at a Glance: Dates, Element, Ruler, and Symbol

Virgo typically runs from August 23 through September 22. That familiar window works for many birthdays, but it is not a clock-level answer for someone born near either edge.

For 2026, the Sun enters Virgo on August 22 at 10:19 PM Eastern, or August 23 at 02:19 UTC. It leaves Virgo for Libra on September 22 at 8:06 PM Eastern, or September 23 at 00:06 UTC.

Attribute Virgo
Typical dates August 23 - September 22
Order 6th sign
Ecliptic longitude 150-180 degrees
Element Earth
Modality Mutable
Polarity Negative, called yin or receptive in classical vocabulary
Ruler Mercury in both classical and modern lists
Symbol The Maiden, also called the Virgin
Glyph ♍
Opposite sign Pisces

I use “typical” on purpose. The date on a wall chart cannot tell you what happened at the exact hour of your birth.

Was I a Virgo in My Birth Year?

Enter your birth month, day, and year in the Virgo window checker. Birth time is optional, but it matters when your birthday falls on a boundary date. The result names the year's exact Virgo start and end moments in both Eastern and UTC time, along with the source line used for the calculation.

Born on a sign-change day? - optional; it only tightens switch-day verdicts.

Runs in your browser - your birth date is never stored or sent.

On a boundary day without a birth time, the honest answer is incomplete: the hour stays open. The checker should show the switch moment rather than announce a guess. If your year is not yet verified, it should say pending verification.

Privacy note: Your date and time are processed in your browser - they are never stored or sent.

The practical formula is simple: in a given year, the Sun entered Virgo at a specific moment; before that moment, the adjacent sign applies, and after it, Virgo applies. For the Virgo end boundary, the same logic applies when the Sun enters Libra.

If you are checking a birthday well inside the window, the regular date range will usually settle the matter. For a separate general calculation, the zodiac sign calculator is the outgoing handoff.

Virgo Boundary Dates by Year: August 22 or 23, September 22 or 23

The table records the Virgo ingress in Eastern time and UTC, then the moment Virgo ends as the Sun enters Libra. Covered years run from 2016 through 2030. Rows or cells marked pending are not approximate answers.

They are gaps awaiting double-sourcing.

Year Sun enters Virgo, Eastern Sun enters Virgo, UTC Sun leaves Virgo / enters Libra, Eastern Status Source
2016 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables
2017 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables
2018 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables
2019 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables
2020 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; astronomical tables
2021 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; astronomical tables
2022 August 22, 11:16 PM EDT pending pending Partially verified Cafe Astrology Eastern boundary table
2023 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables
2024 August 22, 10:55 AM EDT pending September 22, 8:43 AM EDT Partially verified Cafe Astrology Eastern table
2025 August 22, 4:34 PM EDT 20:34 UTC September 22, 2:19 PM EDT Verified Cafe Astrology Eastern table; UTC cardinal-anchor table
2026 August 22, 10:19 PM EDT August 23, 02:19 UTC September 22, 8:06 PM EDT Verified Cafe Astrology; Astro-Seek; Astronomical Almanac/USNO-derived equinox table
2027 pending pending pending Pending verification Awaiting double-sourcing
2028 pending before September pending before September pending before September Pending verification Awaiting double-sourcing
2029 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables
2030 pending pending pending Pending verification Cafe Astrology Eastern tables; Astro-Seek and astronomical tables

Pending-years honesty strip: The 2027 Virgo row and Libra end row, along with 2028 cells before September, await double-sourcing. The table refreshes annually; I print gaps, not guesses.

The August 22/23 Boundary: One Moment, Two Calendar Dates

In 2026, the Virgo ingress happened on August 22 at 10:19 PM Eastern, but on August 23 at 02:19 UTC. Across the United States, that means the switch occurred on the evening of August 22. A UTC-only table can therefore make an American August 23 birthday look as if it belongs to the wrong side of the boundary.

Worked example: one switch moment, two calendar dates

  • Eastern: August 22, 2026, at 10:19 PM.
  • UTC: August 23, 2026, at 02:19 UTC.
  • Born August 22, 2026 in the US: Leo before 10:19 PM Eastern; Virgo after 10:19 PM Eastern.
  • Born August 23, 2026 in the US: Virgo all day.

That is why “August 23 is always Virgo” is useful as a quick convention but weak as a boundary verdict. The cusp dates explained page goes deeper into the general issue, while Leo dates handles Leo's side of this shared boundary.

The same correction matters for 2022. The Sun entered Virgo on August 22 at 11:16 PM EDT, so August 23, 2022 was Virgo in US Eastern time. In an observation dated August 14, 2026, I found that ProKerala presented the claim “Aug 23 in 2000 and 2022 = Virgo and Leo, respectively.” Its 2022 half contradicts the ingress moment.

I used to repeat static-table answers because they were quick. Then I checked the actual switch and retired that habit.

The September 22/23 Boundary: Virgo Ends at the Equinox

Virgo ends at the Libra ingress, anchored to the September equinox. In 2026, the Sun enters Libra on September 23 at 00:06 UTC, which is September 22 at 8:06 PM Eastern. Born that day, you are a Virgo unless you were born after 8:06 PM Eastern, when Libra applies.

In 2025, Virgo ended on September 22 at 2:19 PM Eastern. The year changes the answer, not a personal feeling about being “between” signs. See Libra dates for Libra's side of the boundary.

Why the Pending Years Show as Pending

The 2027 Virgo row and the 2027 Libra end row remain pending until they have two supporting sources. The 2028 cells before September are handled the same way. I would rather leave a visible gap than turn an unverified calculation into an exact birth verdict.

Why Virgo Dates Shift by a Day Some Years

The tropical year lasts about 365.2422 days. That makes each seasonal boundary arrive roughly 6 hours later each year, while a leap day pulls the timing back by about 18 hours. The Virgo start can therefore fall on August 22 or August 23, and the Virgo end can fall on September 22 or September 23.

A birthday in the middle of the usual window does not move signs because of this drift. The detailed mechanics and the full zodiac grid live on the 12 zodiac signs.

Virgo's Attributes: Earth, Mutable, Mercury, and the Maiden

The traditional profile uses four basic labels: Earth, Mutable, Mercury, and the Maiden. I treat these as a symbolic vocabulary, not measurements of a person.

Earth and Mutable: What the Combination Means

In the tradition, Earth points toward a practical, grounded temperament. Mutable means Virgo closes a season and adapts as summer turns toward fall.

Traditional astrology also called mutable signs “double-bodied,” with paired figures used in the imagery: Gemini's twins, Virgo's maiden, Sagittarius's centaur, and Pisces's two fish. That is a description of the tradition's symbols, not a claim that people have fixed psychological types.

Mercury's Rulership (and the Chiron Side Note)

Mercury rules Virgo in both classical and modern lists. There is no outer-planet redrawing that replaces Mercury for this sign.

Some people informally link Chiron to Virgo, but that is an attributed tradition note. Mercury remains Virgo's ruler in the standard lists I use here.

The Maiden and Her Glyph

The Maiden, also called the Virgin, is Virgo's traditional symbol, and its glyph is ♍, Unicode U+264D. In the tradition, the figure belongs to the harvest season between summer and the equinox, with a motif of discernment and careful separation.

I do not need to attach a named myth to make the symbol useful. The image already gives the reader a seasonal metaphor: sorting what is ready to keep from what is not.

The Virgo-Pisces Axis

Virgo opposes Pisces, with Earth facing Water across the traditional axis. One end emphasizes detail and discernment; the other suggests boundless empathy. They are two halves of one symbolic line, not enemies.

The neighboring sign is covered on the Pisces dates page.

Virgo Traits in the Tradition: Strengths and Shadow Sides

Virgo is traditionally described as analytical, meticulous, practical, and helpful. In the tradition, those words point to attention, usefulness, and a preference for working with the details in front of you. They are not instructions to assume that every Virgo behaves the same way.

The shadow side is traditionally described as overly critical. That can be a useful prompt for self-reflection, but it becomes unfair when someone uses it as a label for a child, partner, or coworker. I would not tell a person, “You are critical because you are a Virgo.” I would say that the tradition uses criticism as one possible shadow image.

I don't read daily horoscopes - I like the zodiac as a mirror, not a map. A mirror can help you notice a pattern you want to think about. It cannot tell you what choice to make, diagnose a personality, or forecast what will happen next.

These are traditional symbolic descriptions for entertainment and self-reflection, not science. Your Sun sign is also one part of a much larger chart within astrology's own framework, so even a traditional reading does not justify reducing someone to one label. My zodiac basics article keeps that distinction at the center.

The useful question is not “Does every Virgo fit this list?” It is “Does this description give me a language for something I have already noticed?” If the answer is no, discard it. A sign should not overrule your direct knowledge of yourself or another person.

Virgo Compatibility: Traditional Associations, No Guarantees

The most common traditional convention pairs Virgo with water signs such as Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, as well as fellow Earth signs Taurus and Capricorn. Pisces is the classical opposite pairing on the Virgo-Pisces axis.

Sources vary, and there are no guarantees. A Sun sign is not a verdict on a real relationship, and traditional synastry is not decided by Sun signs alone. For the deeper treatment, see Virgo compatibility or use the zodiac compatibility calculator.

I use both as reflection tools, not relationship judges.

Virgo's Months: August and September Birthdays

August typically holds Leo first and Virgo after the August 22/23 boundary; see Leo dates for the neighboring sign. September typically holds Virgo first and Libra after the September 22/23 boundary; see Libra dates for that side.

Virgo FAQ: Boundary Days, Traits, and Privacy

Is August 23 a Virgo or a Leo?

The year decides. In 2026, the Sun entered Virgo on August 22 at 10:19 PM Eastern, so August 23 was Virgo all day in North America; in 2022, the ingress was August 22 at 11:16 PM EDT, with the same practical result. The checker settles the answer for covered years.

Is September 22 or 23 the last day of Virgo?

The year decides, and the birth time can decide the boundary hour. In 2026, Virgo ended on September 22 at 8:06 PM Eastern, after which Libra applied; in 2025, Virgo ended on September 22 at 2:19 PM Eastern.

Why do Virgo dates move by a day some years?

The yearly drift is about 6 hours, and the leap-day reset shifts the timing by about 18 hours. That pushes the Virgo start between August 22 and August 23 and the end between September 22 and September 23. Mid-window birthdays do not change signs.

Was I born on the cusp - am I two signs?

No, the Sun occupies exactly one tropical zodiac sign at any instant. Your birth year, and your birth hour when you are near the switch, decides which sign applies. I once repeated the phrase “you might be both signs,” then checked the ingress moment and stopped using it as an answer.

Who is Virgo compatible with?

The most common traditional convention pairs Virgo with water signs and fellow Earth signs, with Pisces as the classical opposite. References genuinely differ, and there are no guarantees or real-relationship verdicts. The compatibility guide and calculator can offer symbolic prompts, not certainty.

Are Virgo traits scientific?

No, Virgo traits are traditional symbolic descriptions for entertainment and self-reflection. The vocabulary can give you a mirror for considering patterns, but it is not a scientific test and should never be used to judge people. For a skeptical overview, read what astrology can and can't tell you.

Do you store my birth date when I use the checker?

No, the checker processes your birth information in your browser. Your birth date and optional birth time are never stored or sent. If privacy matters to you, you can still check the table manually without entering anything into the tool.

If your birthday lands on August 22, August 23, September 22 or September 23, dig out your birth time and run the checker above - that one hour is the difference between two signs. Everyone else: enjoy being solidly Virgo, and take the full year-by-year table with you from the 12 zodiac signs hub.

Honesty Notes and Sources

The zodiac here is a traditional symbolic system for entertainment and self-reflection, not science. That framing does not license categorical claims about a person. Dana Whitmore is an editorial voice and an honest pen name; I claim no astrology credentials, certifications, or client history.

Research was done from the sources below. Model QA passes are model QA, not human endorsement.

Sources

The zodiac is presented for entertainment and self-reflection, not as science or a method for making categorical claims, predictions, or decisions about a person.

Dana Whitmore

is YouHoroscope's editorial voice: plain-spoken, curious, and allergic to mystification. No astrology credentials are claimed here - the published date tables do the proving.