La Rioja: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
La Rioja is a city of 178,872 people in Argentina, 493 m (1,617 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Capitan V A Almonacid Airport (IRJ), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in La Rioja runs from about 10 h 18 min a day in late June to 14 h 5 min in late December (computed for -29.41° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
La Rioja is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Capitan V A Almonacid Airport (IRJ), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,383 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to La Rioja: every airport, routes and times
Buses to La Rioja · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Córdoba, 338 km — flights · buses · car rental
- San Miguel de Tucumán, 331 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Santiago del Estero, 310 km — buses · car rental
- Catamarca, 148 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Rawson, 290 km — buses · car rental · tours
- San Juan, 285 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Bergamo, Copiapó.
Common questions
Which airport serves La Rioja?
Capitan V A Almonacid Airport (IRJ), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre.
How big is La Rioja?
About 178,872 people live in La Rioja, across 14 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is La Rioja in?
America/Argentina/La_Rioja, currently UTC-3.
What currency is used in La Rioja?
The Peso (ARS). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near La Rioja?
Córdoba (338 km), San Miguel de Tucumán (331 km), Santiago del Estero (310 km), Catamarca (148 km), Rawson (290 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.