Newark to San José (Alajuela) (EWR–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

EWR Airport Page →
2,208 mi airlines 26/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 9 flights Verified 6h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
UA1642
UA United
7M8
7:07 AM
EDT TC
10:30 AM
CST
5h 23m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1067
UA United
7M8
7:25 AM
EDT TC
10:42 AM
CST
5h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1080
UA United
B38M
8:31 AM
EDT TC
12:16 PM
CST
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1222
UA United
7M8
4:04 PM
EDT TC
7:37 PM
CST
5h 33m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1079
UA United
7M8
8:05 AM
CST TM
3:18 PM
EDT
5h 13m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1540
UA United
7M8
11:50 AM
CST TM
7:13 PM
EDT
5h 23m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1952
UA United
12:58 PM
CST
8:34 PM
EDT
5h 36m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1560
UA United
B38M
3:25 PM
CST TM
10:49 PM
EDT
5h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1649
UA United
B38M
10:28 PM
CST TM
5:31 AM+1
EDT
5h 3m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
Newark to San José (Alajuela)
1 carrier, 26 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 26 Flights/wk 2,208 mi 5h 17m nonstop -2h behind 45 1-stop hubs

EWR–SJO is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. United Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 2,208 miles in approximately 5h 17m. Beyond nonstop, 45 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop EWR–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 26 7M8, B38M 5h17-5h45 51% Star Alliance
Aircraft on this route
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
B38MUA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (26 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, EWR to SJO direction.
Mon
4
flights
Tue
3
flights
Wed
3
flights
Thu
4
flights
Fri
4
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
4
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
4
Nonstop flights
26
Outbound / wk
27
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for EWR to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
45
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~28h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,337
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
EWR → SJO
51%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
51%
Return
SJO → EWR
56%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Arriving
56%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. EWR delays →

Other ways to reach San José (Alajuela) from Newark

Nearby airports with service to Juan Santamaría International Airport.
Metric EWR→SJO TEB→SJO JFK→SJO
Distance from EWR 13 mi 21 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 1 1
Weekly flights 26 7
Flight time 5h 17m 4h 25m 6h 26m
Departure OTP 51%
Airports within 200 miles of EWR with service to Juan Santamaría International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-2h
San José (Alajuela) is 2 hours behind Newark.
EWR: EDT · SJO: CST

When it's 6:00 PM in Newark, it's 4:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
Distance & Flight Time
2,208 mi / 3,553 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 17m to 5h 45m.
Visa & Entry

US passport holders enter Costa Rica visa-free for stays up to 180 days. No advance application is needed. Passport must be valid for at least one day beyond the date of entry. A return or onward ticket is required and airlines will check before boarding. Proof of funds (USD 100 per month of stay) may be requested at immigration.

Getting to EWR

NJ Transit train from New York Penn Station to Newark Airport station takes 25–30 minutes ($13.50); an AirTrain connection ($5.50 more) links to the terminals. From Midtown Manhattan, the journey costs around $19 total.Ride-shares from Manhattan run $45–80 depending on traffic; add the $17.50 Lincoln Tunnel toll. Taxis from Manhattan carry a flat $55 rate plus tolls and tip. Allow 60–90 minutes from Midtown during peak hours.

EWR–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Newark to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Distance2,208 mi / 3,553 km
Flight time5h 17m to 5h 45m
Time difference-2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights26 out / 27 return
1-stop connections45 hubs
Origin: EWR
IATA / ICAOEWR / KEWR
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr49.1M
Elevation18 ft / 5 m
Destination: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about EWR to SJO flights.
Nonstop flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport take approximately 5h 17m to 5h 45m. The route covers 2,208 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: United Airlines.
There are approximately 26 nonstop flights per week from EWR to SJO. The return direction has about 27 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through PBI, OPF, ILM, CMH, BWI, SRQ, DAL, SJU, BDA, HOU, LTN, SXM, JFK, MSY, MDE, MSP, YUL, IAD, GUA, DFW, SAL, GDL, MIA, YYZ, PTY, SFO, ATL, FLL, LAX, MEX, IAH, FRA, MAD, MCO, ZRH, ORD, CDG, SDQ, CLT, BNA, DEN, AMS, BOG, LIM and CUN. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San José (Alajuela) is 2 hours behind Newark.
Yes, return flights from SJO to EWR are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include TEB and JFK. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from EWR to SJO

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) are connected by nonstop service from United Airlines. With 26 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

EWR to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from EWR to SJO ranges from 5 hours 17 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,208 miles (3,553 km). There are approximately 26 weekly flights outbound and 27 return, totaling 53 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

45 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via PBI. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Teterboro (TEB) and New York (JFK).