The short version
If your birthday falls between July 23 and August 22, you are a Leo: warm, proud, generous, and dramatic, the zodiac's performer who loves and leads out loud. Those are the Leo dates in most years, but the exact start and end move by a day or so as the Sun shifts, so the edges are worth a closer look.
Why Leo dates shift by a day each year
The Sun does not cross into Leo at the same minute every year. It enters around July 23 and leaves around August 22, but the precise moment drifts by roughly a day depending on the year and your time zone. That is why two reputable sources can list slightly different Leo dates, and why anyone born right at the edge needs their exact birth chart, not a generic date list, to be sure.
Born on the Leo cusp?
If you were born at the very start of Leo, around July 23, you may be on the Cancer-Leo cusp: see July 22, July 23. If you were born at the very end, around August 22, you may be on the Leo-Virgo cusp: see August 22. On a cusp, only your full birth chart can settle which sign your Sun is actually in.
The three types of Leo: decans
Not every Leo is alike. The sign splits into three ten-day decans, each with its own flavor: Leo decan 1 (July 23 to August 1), Leo decan 2 (August 2 to 12), Leo decan 3 (August 13 to 22). Your decan sharpens the basic Leo picture depending on which third of the sign you were born in.
Leo at a glance
Leo (♌) is a fixed fire sign ruled by the Sun. Its opposite sign is Aquarius, and it sits between Cancer and Virgo in the zodiac wheel. As a fixed fire sign, Leo is warm at its core.
Are you sure you are a Leo?
Your Sun sign is the baseline, but it is only the Sun, one of about ten major chart factors. Your Moon, rising sign, and planets depend on your exact date, time, and city, and near a cusp they can even shift your sun sign itself. Calculate your free birth chart to confirm your real placements, then start your 7-day free trial for a personal reading on your WhatsApp each morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dates for Leo?
Leo dates run from about July 23 to August 22. The exact boundaries shift by a day or so each year as the Sun moves, so a birthday right at the edge is best confirmed with a full birth chart.
Is someone born on July 23 a Leo?
Usually yes, July 23 is right at the start of Leo, on the Cancer-Leo cusp. In some years the Sun crosses a little earlier or later, so a birth on that exact date is best checked against a real chart rather than a generic date list.
What if I was born on the Leo cusp?
If you were born near July 23 or August 22, you are on a Leo cusp and could be either sign depending on the year and your birth time. Only your full birth chart, built from your exact date, time, and city, can tell you for certain which sign your Sun is in.
Why do Leo dates change each year?
Because the calendar and the Sun's path do not line up perfectly. The Sun enters Leo at a slightly different moment each year, so the start and end dates drift by about a day. The date ranges you see are the typical ones, accurate for most years.
Curious about the energy of this time of year? See Leo season, what it means for every sign.