There are 8 ways to get from Iowa City to Costa Rica by car, plane, bus, train, or bus (Greyhound, Flixbus)
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Drive to Waterloo Municipal Airport, fly
best- Drive from Iowa City to Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO)car
- Fly from Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane ALO - SJO
9h 23m$167–675Bus to Quad City International Airport, fly
cheapest- Take the bus from Iowa City to Moline Center Stationbus
- Fly from Quad City International Airport (MLI) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane MLI - SJO
11h 32m$152–672Bus, train via Mexico City
- Take the bus from Iowa City to Chicago Bus Stationbus
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to San Marcos Amtraktrain
- Take the bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Nortebus
- Take the bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachulabus
- Take the bus from Tapachula to San Salvadorbus
- Take the bus from Terminal San Carlos - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Nortebus
4d 14h$712–1,361Drive 5,113.2 km
- Drive from Iowa City to San Josécar 5,113.2 km
2d 16h$686–991Bus to The Eastern Iowa Airport, fly
- Take the bus from Court St Transportation Center to GTC Bay 9bus
- Fly from The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane CID - SJO
11h 53mDrive to Burlington Municipal Airport, fly
- Drive from Iowa City to Burlington Municipal Airport (BRL)car
- Fly from Burlington Municipal Airport (BRL) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane BRL - SJO
12h 47m$155–623Bus
- Take the bus from Iowa City to Chicago Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Chicago Bus Station to Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctrbus
- Take the bus from Road Ranger Truck Stop - Champaign to Tornado Bus Co - Austinbus
- Take the bus from Austin to Katybus
- Take the bus from Houston to San Salvadorbus
- Take the bus from Terminal San Carlos - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Nortebus
5d 7h$590–1,152Bus, train
- Take the bus from Iowa City to Chicago Bus Stationbus
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Longviewtrain
- Take the bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Houston to Managuabus
- Take the bus from Terminal Managua - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Nortebus
5d 23h$587–1,162
Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Iowa City to Costa Rica is to bus and fly which costs $150 - $700 and takes 11h 32m.
The fastest way to get from Iowa City to Costa Rica is to drive and fly which takes 9h 23m and costs $160 - $700.
The distance between Iowa City and Costa Rica is 3850 km. The road distance is 5113.2 km.
The best way to get from Iowa City to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 7h and costs $550 - $1,200.
It takes approximately 9h 23m to get from Iowa City to Costa Rica, including transfers.
Costa Rica is 1h behind Iowa City. It is currently 3:25 PM in Iowa City and 2:25 PM in Costa Rica.
Yes, the driving distance between Iowa City to Costa Rica is 5113 km. It takes approximately 2 days 16h to drive from Iowa City to Costa Rica.
There are 754+ hotels available in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between Iowa City, IA, USA and Costa Rica?
You can take a bus from Iowa City to Terminal Atlántico Norte via Chicago Bus Station, Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr, Road Ranger Truck Stop - Champaign, Austin, Katy, Houston, San Salvador, and Terminal San Carlos - CCA in around 5d 7h.
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 52m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 29m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 13m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $220–950
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 38m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $220–950
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 52m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $220–950
Flights from Burlington Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 35m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 21m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $180–800
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 40m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 13h
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $270–1,200
Flights from Burlington Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 15m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare, San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 17m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $240–850
Flights from Burlington Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare, San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 15h 30m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $220–800
- Website
- worldticket.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare, Liberia
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- flysansa.com
Flights from Waterloo Municipal Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare, Liberia
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Quad City International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 55m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–950
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Chicago Union Station to San Marcos Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 29h 41m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $340–750
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Chicago Union Station to Longview
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $230–550
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- ifsr@greyhound.com
- Website
- greyhound.com
Bus from Iowa City to Chicago Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $40–75
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Iowa City to Moline Center Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $10–19
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $35–70
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
- Phone
- +1 800 923 1799
- contactus@omexusa.net
- Website
- omnibusexpress.com
Bus from San Marcos to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 17m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $140–220
- Schedules at
- omnibusexpress.com
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 50m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- $95–170
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +𝟓𝟎𝟑 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟒 𝟔𝟓𝟒𝟖
- elcondorinternacional@gmail.com
- Website
- facebook.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $50
- Schedules at
- facebook.com
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- info@ticabus.com
- Website
- ticabus.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
- Phone
- +504 9919 5375
- Website
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
Bus from Terminal San Carlos - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 20h
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $65–95
- Schedules at
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
- Road
- $65–95
Bus from Terminal Managua - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 12h
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $30–50
- Schedules at
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
- Road
- $30–50
- Phone
- +1-319-362-0375
- Website
- 380express.com
Bus from Court St Transportation Center to GTC Bay 9
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Website
- https://www.380express.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.380express.com/schedule/
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 45m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $16–29
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
- Phone
- +1 800-448-0572
- ticketsales@peoriacharter.com
- Website
- peoriacharter.com
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $45–60
- Schedules at
- peoriacharter.com
- cash
- $60
- online
- $45
- Phone
- +1 888 358 6762
- info@tornadobus.com
- Website
- tornadobus.com
Bus from Road Ranger Truck Stop - Champaign to Tornado Bus Co - Austin
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $150–310
- Schedules at
- tornadobus.com
- Adults 11-59
- $150–310
Bus from Austin to Katy
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 53m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $45–140
- Schedules at
- tornadobus.com
- Adults 11-59
- $45–140
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- info@boletosdebus.com
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Houston to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 3d
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $180–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Houston to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 1h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $230–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Want to know more about travelling around Costa Rica
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
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