The following article lists the presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain. From 1824 to 1838 Costa Rica was a state within the Federal Republic of Central America; since then it has been an independent nation.
Heads of state of Costa Rica (1824–1848)
Head of State Portrait Term of office Political affiliation Notes Juan Mora Fernández 1824–1833 Liberal José Rafael Gallegos 1833–1835 Conservative Braulio Carrillo Colina 1835–1837 Liberal Juan Mora Fernández March–April 1837 Liberal Manuel Aguilar Chacón 1837–1838 Liberal Braulio Carrillo Colina 1838–1842 Liberal Francisco Morazán April–September 1842 Liberal António Pinto Soares September 1842 Liberal José María Alfaro Zamora 1842–1844 Liberal Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla November–December 1844 Liberal José Rafael Gallegos 1845–1846 Conservative José María Alfaro Zamora 1846–1847 Liberal José Castro Madriz 1847–1848 Liberal
Presidents of Costa Rica (1848–present)
PresidentTerm of officePolitical affiliation Election Notes José María Castro Madriz 31 August 1848 16 November 1849 Non-partisan Liberal 1847 Miguel Mora Porras 16 November 1849 26 November 1849 Non-partisan Liberal Juan Mora Porras 26 November 1849 14 August 1859 Non-partisan Liberal 184918531859 José María Montealegre Fernández 14 August 1859 8 May 1863 Non-partisan Liberal 1860 Jesús Jiménez Zamora 8 May 1863 8 May 1866 Non-partisan Liberal 1863 José Castro Madriz 8 May 1866 1 November 1868 Non-partisan Liberal 1866 Jesús Jiménez Zamora 1 November 1868 27 April 1870 Military De facto Bruno Carranza Ramírez 27 April 1870 8 August 1870 Non-partisan Liberal Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez 10 August 1870 8 May 1876 Non-partisan Liberal 1872 Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz 8 May 1876 30 July 1876 Non-partisan Liberal 1876 Vicente Herrera Zeledón 30 July 1876 11 September 1877 Non-partisan Conservative Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez 11 September 1877 6 July 1882 Non-partisan Liberal Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez 6 July 1882 20 July 1882 Non-partisan Liberal Próspero Fernández Oreamuno 20 July 1882 12 March 1885 Non-partisan Liberal 1882 Bernardo Soto Alfaro 12 March 1885 8 May 1890 Non-partisan Liberal 1886 José Rodríguez Zeledón 8 May 1890 8 May 1894 Constitutional Democratic 1889 Rafael Yglesias Castro 8 May 1894 8 May 1902 Civil 18941897 Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra 8 May 1902 8 May 1906 National Union 1902 Cleto González Víquez 8 May 1906 8 May 1910 National 1906 Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno 8 May 1910 8 May 1914 Republican 1910 Alfredo González Flores 8 May 1914 27 January 1917 Republican De facto Federico Tinoco Granados 27 January 1917 13 August 1919 Peliquista Juan Quirós Segura 13 August 1919 2 September 1919 Peliquista De facto Francisco Aguilar Barquero 2 September 1919 8 May 1920 Republican Julio Acosta García 8 May 1920 8 May 1924 Constitutional 1919 Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno 8 May 1924 8 May 1928 Republican 1923 Cleto González Víquez 8 May 1928 8 May 1932 National Union 1928 Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno 8 May 1932 8 May 1936 National Republican 1932 León Cortés Castro 8 May 1936 8 May 1940 National Republican 1936 Rafael Calderón Guardia 8 May 1940 8 May 1944 National Republican 1940 Teodoro Picado Michalski 8 May 1944 20 April 1948 National Republican 1944 Santos León Herrera 20 April 1948 8 May 1948 National Republican José Figueres Ferrer 8 May 1948 8 November 1949 Social Democratic De facto Otilio Ulate Blanco 8 November 1949 8 November 1953 National Union 1948 José Figueres Ferrer 8 November 1953 8 May 1958 National Liberation 1953 Mario Echandi Jiménez 8 May 1958 8 May 1962 National Union 1958 Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich 8 May 1962 8 May 1966 National Liberation 1962 José Trejos Fernández 8 May 1966 8 May 1970 National Unification 1966 José Figueres Ferrer 8 May 1970 8 May 1974 National Liberation 1970 Daniel Oduber Quirós 8 May 1974 8 May 1978 National Liberation 1974 Rodrigo Carazo Odio 8 May 1978 8 May 1982 Unity Coalition 1978 Luis Monge Álvarez 8 May 1982 8 May 1986 National Liberation 1982 Óscar Arias Sánchez 8 May 1986 8 May 1990 National Liberation 1986 Rafael Calderón Fournier 8 May 1990 8 May 1994 Social Christian Unity 1990 José Figueres Olsen 8 May 1994 8 May 1998 National Liberation 1994 Miguel Rodríguez Echeverría 8 May 1998 8 May 2002 Social Christian Unity 1998 Abel Pacheco de la Espriella 8 May 2002 8 May 2006 Social Christian Unity 2002 Óscar Arias Sánchez 8 May 2006 8 May 2010 National Liberation 2006 Laura Chinchilla Miranda 8 May 2010 8 May 2014 National Liberation 2010 Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera 8 May 2014 8 May 2018 Citizens' Action 2014 Carlos Alvarado Quesada 8 May 2018 8 May 2022 Citizens' Action 2018 Rodrigo Chaves Robles 8 May 2022 8 May 2026 Social Democratic Progress 2022 Laura Fernández Delgado 8 May 2026 Incumbent Sovereign People's 2026
Timeline
See also List of presidents of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica List of presidents of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica
References