Car hire and driving in Managua
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 9 km (6 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 Managua
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managua to León | Nicaragua | 76 km (47 mi) | about 1 h 10 min |
| Managua to Matagalpa | Nicaragua | 95 km (59 mi) | about 1 h 27 min |
| Managua to Chinandega | Nicaragua | 110 km (69 mi) | about 1 h 41 min |
| Managua to Danlí | Honduras | 214 km (133 mi) | about 3 h 16 min |
| Managua to Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 240 km (149 mi) | about 3 h 40 min |
| Managua to San Miguel | El Salvador | 258 km (160 mi) | about 3 h 56 min |
| Managua to Catacamas | Honduras | 305 km (189 mi) | about 4 h 39 min |
| Managua to Siguatepeque | Honduras | 323 km (201 mi) | about 4 h 56 min |
| Managua to San José | Costa Rica | 340 km (211 mi) | about 5 h 11 min |
| Managua to Soyapango | El Salvador | 359 km (223 mi) | about 5 h 28 min |
| Managua to San Salvador | El Salvador | 362 km (225 mi) | about 5 h 32 min |
| Managua to Mejicanos | El Salvador | 364 km (226 mi) | about 5 h 33 min |
| Managua to Mexico City | Mexico | 1,598 km (993 mi) | about 24 h 22 min |
| Managua to Iztapalapa | Mexico | 1,588 km (987 mi) | about 24 h 13 min |
| Managua to Puebla | Mexico | 1,493 km (928 mi) | about 22 h 46 min |
| Managua to Ecatepec de Morelos | Mexico | 1,601 km (995 mi) | about 24 h 25 min |
| Managua to Santiago de Querétaro | Mexico | 1,776 km (1,103 mi) | about 27 h 5 min |
| Managua to Mérida | Mexico | 1,046 km (650 mi) | about 15 h 57 min |
| Managua to Gustavo Adolfo Madero | Mexico | 1,600 km (994 mi) | about 24 h 24 min |
| Managua to Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl | Mexico | 1,586 km (985 mi) | about 24 h 11 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
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Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Managua?
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.