Car hire and driving in León
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Nicaragua traffic drives on the right. Picking up at MGA means 84 km (52 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q11185210 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648801 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648805.
Drives from León
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| León to Chinandega | Nicaragua | 35 km (22 mi) | about 32 min |
| León to Managua | Nicaragua | 76 km (47 mi) | about 1 h 10 min |
| León to Masaya | Nicaragua | 99 km (62 mi) | about 1 h 31 min |
| León to Matagalpa | Nicaragua | 118 km (73 mi) | about 1 h 48 min |
| León to Danlí | Honduras | 181 km (112 mi) | about 2 h 45 min |
| León to San Miguel | El Salvador | 183 km (114 mi) | about 2 h 48 min |
| León to Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 186 km (116 mi) | about 2 h 51 min |
| León to Siguatepeque | Honduras | 261 km (162 mi) | about 3 h 59 min |
| León to Soyapango | El Salvador | 283 km (176 mi) | about 4 h 19 min |
| León to San Salvador | El Salvador | 286 km (178 mi) | about 4 h 22 min |
| León to Mejicanos | El Salvador | 288 km (179 mi) | about 4 h 24 min |
| León to Catacamas | Honduras | 289 km (180 mi) | about 4 h 24 min |
| León to Mexico City | Mexico | 1,522 km (946 mi) | about 23 h 13 min |
| León to Iztapalapa | Mexico | 1,512 km (940 mi) | about 23 h 4 min |
| León to Puebla | Mexico | 1,417 km (881 mi) | about 21 h 37 min |
| León to Ecatepec de Morelos | Mexico | 1,526 km (948 mi) | about 23 h 16 min |
| León to Santiago de Querétaro | Mexico | 1,700 km (1,056 mi) | about 25 h 56 min |
| León to Mérida | Mexico | 993 km (617 mi) | about 15 h 8 min |
| León to Gustavo Adolfo Madero | Mexico | 1,524 km (947 mi) | about 23 h 15 min |
| León to Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl | Mexico | 1,510 km (938 mi) | about 23 h 2 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in León?
The right, as everywhere in Nicaragua.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
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.