Where Is Costa Rica on the Map?

Region

Central America

Neighbours

Nicaragua, Panama

Area

~51,100 km²

Time zone

UTC−6

Costa Rica in Central America

Costa Rica lies on the Central American isthmus, the land bridge between North and South America. It borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south-east, and has about 1,300 km of coastline on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. At its narrowest, only about 120 km separate the two coasts. Geographically, Central America is part of North America, so Costa Rica is not in South America.

Costa Rica on the world map

The country lies between about 8° and 11° north of the equator, which gives it a tropical climate with a dry and a green season (see the climate map). It is roughly the size of West Virginia, or a little larger than Denmark or Switzerland. Costa Rica stays on Central Standard Time (UTC−6) all year, with no daylight saving.

Costa Rica and the USA

San José is about 1,800 km south of Miami. Direct flights take about 2 h 45 min from Miami, 3 h 30 min from Houston and 5 h 30 min from New York, landing at San José (SJO) or Liberia (LIR). See the airports map.

Border crossings

• Nicaragua: Peñas Blancas on the Pan-American Highway, north of Liberia.
• Panama: Paso Canoas on the Pan-American Highway in the south, and Sixaola on the Caribbean side, the usual route to Bocas del Toro from Puerto Viejo.

Rental cars usually cannot cross borders; international buses and shuttles run to Nicaragua and Panama.

Last reviewed October 2026. Opening hours, prices and road conditions change: check official sources before you travel.