What is the capital of Costa Rica?
San José is the capital of Costa Rica. This city of over 330,000 inhabitants is located in the center of the country, in the Central Valley at 1,200 meters altitude.
San José, capital and nerve center
San José, founded in 1738, has been the capital of Costa Rica since 1823. The city is located in the heart of the country, in the Central Valley (Valle Central), at approximately 1,200 meters altitude. This strategic geographical position makes it the political, economic and cultural center of the country.
A metropolis of over 2 million inhabitants
The city of San José has approximately 335,000 inhabitants, but its metropolitan area, called Gran Área Metropolitana (GAM), brings together more than 2.8 million people, representing more than half of Costa Rica's population.
Why this location?
- Temperate climate: the altitude offers pleasant temperatures year-round (18-26°C)
- Central position: equidistant from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts
- Fertile lands: the central valley is conducive to agriculture, particularly coffee
- Accessibility: natural crossroads of the country's communication routes