León: 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.
León is a city of 144,538 people in Nicaragua (León Department), 102 m (335 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in León runs from about 11 h 26 min a day in late December to 12 h 54 min in late June (computed for 12.44° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
León is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,012 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to León: every airport, routes and times
Buses to León · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Managua, 76 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Tegucigalpa, 186 km (Honduras) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- San Pedro Sula, 363 km (Honduras) — flights · buses
- San Salvador, 286 km (El Salvador) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Soyapango, 283 km (El Salvador) — buses · car rental · tours
- San Miguel, 183 km (El Salvador) — buses · car rental · tours
- Danlí, 181 km (Honduras) — buses · car rental · tours
- La Ceiba, 370 km (Honduras)
- La Ceiba, 370 km (Honduras)
- Santa Ana, 337 km (El Salvador)
Common questions
Which airport serves León?
Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre.
How big is León?
About 144,538 people live in León (GeoNames).
What time zone is León in?
America/Managua, currently UTC-6.
What currency is used in León?
The Cordoba (NIO). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near León?
Managua (76 km), Tegucigalpa (186 km), San Pedro Sula (363 km), San Salvador (286 km), Soyapango (283 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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.