Americas · capital city
What Is the Capital of Costa Rica?
San José
The capital of Costa Rica is San José. About 1.5 million people live in the San José urban area — 28.4% of the country's population.
1.5 million
Urban area population
UTC-6
Time zone
9.93°N
Latitude · 84.08°W
Yes
Largest city
San José at a glance
Name origin
Spanish settlers originally named the city Villa Nueva in 1736; it was later renamed for Saint Joseph.
Time zone
UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
9 56 N, 84 05 W · IANA time zone America/Costa_Rica
Location of Costa Rica
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Capitals closest to San José
Managua, Nicaragua — 340 km
Panama City, Panama — 511 km
Tegucigalpa, Honduras — 575 km
San Salvador, El Salvador — 697 km
Guatemala City, Guatemala — 871 km
Belmopan, Belize — 958 km
George Town, Cayman Islands — 1,081 km
Kingston, Jamaica — 1,192 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about San José
What is the capital of Costa Rica?
The capital of Costa Rica is San José. About 1.5 million people live in the San José urban area — 28.4% of the country's population.
Is San José the largest city in Costa Rica?
Yes — San José is also the largest urban area of Costa Rica (1.5 million).
What time zone is San José in?
San José is on UTC-6 — UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.
Where does the name San José come from?
Spanish settlers originally named the city Villa Nueva in 1736; it was later renamed for Saint Joseph.
Which capital is closest to San José?
Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Managua (Nicaragua) is the closest, 340 km away in a straight line.
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).