Driving from San José to Panama City
Panama City lies 512 km (318 mi) east of San José, +1 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
Driving takes about 7 h 48 min without stops, over roughly 624 km (388 mi) of road; add breaks, fuel and any border.
Open Panama City in Google Maps
| San José | Panama City | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Costa Rica | Panama |
| Population | 335,007 | 408,168 |
| Elevation | 1,133 m (3,717 ft) | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Time now | UTC-6 (America/Costa_Rica) | UTC-5 (America/Panama) |
Clocks in Panama City are 1 h ahead of San José right now, so a 7 h 48 min journey lands 8 h 48 min later by the destination clock.
What changes when you arrive in Panama City
Crossing from Costa Rica into Panama: money changes from the Colon to the Balboa (PAB); the dialling code becomes +507; the emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648811 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648855.
Where to book car hire from San José to Panama City
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.
Staying in Panama City
Our booking partner lists 791 places to stay in Panama City. Of the 570 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (252), and 29 are five-star. Across 158 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 228,023 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Panama City
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Panama City from San José?
512 km (318 mi) in a straight line, east of San José; by road roughly 624 km (388 mi).
How long does it take to get from San José to Panama City by car?
About 7 h 48 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between San José and Panama City?
Panama City is 1 h ahead at the moment (America/Panama against America/Costa_Rica).
What currency do I need in Panama City?
The Balboa (PAB).
Where can I stay in Panama City?
Our booking partner lists 791 places to stay in Panama City, bookable on this site.
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.