San José: 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.
San José is the capital of Costa Rica, 1,133 m (3,717 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Pacífico railway station.
Key facts
Daylight in San José runs from about 11 h 35 min a day in late December to 12 h 45 min in late June (computed for 9.93° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
San José is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,882 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ, 7 km), Quepos Managua Airport (XQP, 55 km), La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON, 80 km).
Flights to San José: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Pacífico railway station. Trains to San José
Buses to San José · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture | 270,000 | — |
The busiest is Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture at 270,000 visitors. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from San José
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Managua, 340 km (Nicaragua) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Masaya, 316 km (Nicaragua) — buses · car rental
- Matagalpa, 388 km (Nicaragua) — buses · car rental
Twin towns and sister cities: Kfar Saba, San Jose, Santiago, Chimbote, Huancayo, Juliaca, Lima, Ahuachapán, Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, San Pedro Sula, Okayama, Madrid, Santo Domingo.
Common questions
Which airport serves San José?
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, plus 3 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is San José?
About 335,007 people live in San José, across 45 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is San José in?
America/Costa_Rica, currently UTC-6.
What currency is used in San José?
The Colon (CRC). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near San José?
Managua (340 km), Masaya (316 km), Matagalpa (388 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.