Riobamba: 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.
Riobamba is a city of 264,048 people in Ecuador (Chimborazo Province), 2,777 m (9,111 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Cotopaxi International Airport (LTX), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Riobamba runs from about 12 h 4 min a day in late June to 12 h 15 min in late December (computed for -1.67° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Riobamba is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Cotopaxi International Airport (LTX), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre, whose 12,117-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Coronel E Carvajal Airport (XMS, 92 km).
Flights to Riobamba: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Riobamba · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Quito, 160 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Guayaquil, 149 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Cuenca, 142 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 167 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Pasto, 355 km (Colombia)
- Ambato, 46 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Portoviejo, 210 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Eloy Alfaro, 143 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Machala, 229 km — buses · car rental
- Loja, 266 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Ambato.
Common questions
Which airport serves Riobamba?
Cotopaxi International Airport (LTX), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Riobamba?
About 264,048 people live in Riobamba, across 40 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Riobamba in?
America/Guayaquil, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Riobamba?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Riobamba?
Quito (160 km), Guayaquil (149 km), Cuenca (142 km), Santo Domingo de los Colorados (167 km), Pasto (355 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.