# List of presidents of Costa Rica

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)

Liberal  Conservative
| No. | Head of State | Term of Office | Political Affiliation | Notes |
| 1 | Juan Mora Fernández (1784–1854) | 1824–1833 | Liberal | Two consecutive terms; re-elected in 1829. |
| 2 | José Rafael Gallegos (1784–1850) | 1833–1835 | Conservative | Resigned, Manuel Fernández Chacón and Nicolás Ulloa Soto followed as acting Heads of State. |
| 3 | Braulio Carrillo Colina (1800–1845) | 1835–1837 | Liberal | First term. |
| 4 | Juan Mora Fernández (1784–1854) | March–April 1837 | Liberal | Provisional. |
| 5 | Manuel Aguilar Chacón (1797–1846) | 1837–1838 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup d'état. |
| 6 | Braulio Carrillo Colina (1800–1845) | 1838–1842 | Liberal | Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état. |
| 7 | Francisco Morazán (1792–1842) | April–September 1842 | Liberal | Deposed by popular uprising; executed on 15 September 1842. |
| 8 | António Pinto Soares (1780–1865) | September 1842 | Liberal | Came to power in popular uprising, and quickly resigned. |
| 9 | José María Alfaro Zamora (1799–1865) | 1842–1844 | Liberal | First term. Provisional. |
| 10 | Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla (1801–1856) | November–December 1844 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup d'état. |
| 11 | José Rafael Gallegos (1784–1850) | 1845–1846 | Conservative | |
| 12 | José María Alfaro Zamora (1799–1856) | 1846–1847 | Liberal | Second term. |
| 13 | José Castro Madriz (1818–1892) | 1847–1848 | Liberal | |

## Presidents of Costa Rica (1848–present)

Liberal  Conservative  Military  PP  PR  PRN  PUN  PLN  PUSC  PAC  PPSD
| No. | President (Birth–Death) | Term of Office | Term of Office | Political Affiliation | Election | Notes |
| 1 | José María Castro Madriz (1818–1892) | 31 August 1848 | 16 November 1849 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1847 | "Founder of the Republic". |
| (1) | Miguel Mora Porras (1816–1887) | 16 November 1849 | 26 November 1849 | Non-partisan Liberal | | Interim president. |
| 2 | Juan Mora Porras (1814–1860) | 26 November 1849 | 14 August 1859 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1849 1853 1859 | First, second and third term. |
| 3 | José María Montealegre Fernández (1815–1887) | 14 August 1859 | 8 May 1863 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1860 | Provisional 1859–1860. |
| 4 | Jesús Jiménez Zamora (1823–1897) | 8 May 1863 | 8 May 1866 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1863 | |
| 5 | José Castro Madriz (1818–1892) | 8 May 1866 | 1 November 1868 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1866 | Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état. |
| 6 | Jesús Jiménez Zamora (1823–1897) | 1 November 1868 | 27 April 1870 | Military | De facto | Second term. |
| 7 | Bruno Carranza Ramírez (1822–1891) | 27 April 1870 | 8 August 1870 | Non-partisan Liberal | | Appointed by Tomás Guardia as provisional president. Resigned after a few months. |
| 8 | Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez (1831–1882) | 10 August 1870 | 8 May 1876 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1872 | Provisional 1870–1872, latter elected. |
| 9 | Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz (1824–1898) | 8 May 1876 | 30 July 1876 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1876 | Deposed in a coup d'état. |
| 10 | Vicente Herrera Zeledón (1821–1888) | 30 July 1876 | 11 September 1877 | Non-partisan Conservative | | Appointed by Guardia. |
| 11 | Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez (1831–1882) | 11 September 1877 | 6 July 1882 | Non-partisan Liberal | | Second term as de facto ruler. Died in office. |
| 12 | Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez (1826–1905) | 6 July 1882 | 20 July 1882 | Non-partisan Liberal | | Acting president. |
| 13 | Próspero Fernández Oreamuno (1834–1885) | 20 July 1882 | 12 March 1885 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1882 | Died in office. |
| 14 | Bernardo Soto Alfaro (1854–1931) | 12 March 1885 | 8 May 1890 | Non-partisan Liberal | 1886 | Two consecutive terms, the first incomplete. Carlos Durán Cartín was acting president 1889–1890. |
| 15 | José Rodríguez Zeledón (1837–1917) | 8 May 1890 | 8 May 1894 | Constitutional | 1889 | |
| 16 | Rafael Yglesias Castro (1861–1924) | 8 May 1894 | 8 May 1902 | Civil | 1893 | First and second term. |
| 17 | Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra (1844–1923) | 8 May 1902 | 8 May 1906 | National Union | 1901 | |
| 18 | Cleto González Víquez (1858–1937) | 8 May 1906 | 8 May 1910 | National | 1905 | First term. |
| 19 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (1859–1945) | 8 May 1910 | 8 May 1914 | Republican | 1909 | First term. Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora. |
| 20 | Alfredo González Flores (1877–1962) | 8 May 1914 | 27 January 1917 | Republican | Designated by Congress as no clear candidate won in 1913 | De facto Deposed by Tinoco in a coup d'état. |
| 21 | Federico Tinoco Granados (1868–1931) | 27 January 1917 | 13 August 1919 | Peliquista | Took power after coup, was sole candidate in the 1917 election | First and second term. Overthrown by popular uprising. |
| 22 | Juan Quirós Segura (1853–1934) | 13 August 1919 | 2 September 1919 | Peliquista | De facto | Previously Vice President. Replaced Tinoco after his escape. Forced to resign by the U.S. government. |
| 23 | Francisco Aguilar Barquero (1857–1924) | 2 September 1919 | 8 May 1920 | Republican | | Interim president. |
| 24 | Julio Acosta García (1872–1954) | 8 May 1920 | 8 May 1924 | Constitutional | 1919 | |
| 25 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (1859–1945) | 8 May 1924 | 8 May 1928 | Republican | 1923 | Second term. |
| 26 | Cleto González Víquez (1858–1937) | 8 May 1928 | 8 May 1932 | National Union | 1928 | Second term. |
| 27 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (1859–1945) | 8 May 1932 | 8 May 1936 | National Republican | 1932 | Third term. |
| 28 | León Cortés Castro (1882–1946) | 8 May 1936 | 8 May 1940 | National Republican | 1936 | |
| 29 | Rafael Calderón Guardia (1900–1970) | 8 May 1940 | 8 May 1944 | National Republican | 1940 | |
| 30 | Teodoro Picado Michalski (1900–1960) | 8 May 1944 | 20 April 1948 | National Republican | 1944 | |
| (31a) | Santos León Herrera (1874–1950) | 20 April 1948 | 8 May 1948 | National Republican | | Interim president. Former vice-president of Teodoro Picado Michalski. |
| (31b) | José Figueres Ferrer (1906–1990) | 8 May 1948 | 8 November 1949 | Social Democratic | De facto | Came to power in the Civil War. Returned power to elected president after re-organizing the government. |
| 31 | Otilio Ulate Blanco (1891–1973) | 8 November 1949 | 8 November 1953 | National Union | 1948 | |
| 32 | José Figueres Ferrer (1906–1990) | 8 November 1953 | 8 May 1958 | National Liberation | 1953 | Second term. Presidential re-election disallowed. |
| 33 | Mario Echandi Jiménez (1915–2011) | 8 May 1958 | 8 May 1962 | National Union | 1958 | |
| 34 | Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich (1907–1969) | 8 May 1962 | 8 May 1966 | National Liberation | 1962 | |
| 35 | José Trejos Fernández (1916–2010) | 8 May 1966 | 8 May 1970 | National Unification | 1966 | |
| 36 | José Figueres Ferrer (1906–1990) | 8 May 1970 | 8 May 1974 | National Liberation | 1970 | Third term. Presidential re-election disallowed. |
| 37 | Daniel Oduber Quirós (1921–1991) | 8 May 1974 | 8 May 1978 | National Liberation | 1974 | |
| 38 | Rodrigo Carazo Odio (1926–2009) | 8 May 1978 | 8 May 1982 | Unity Coalition | 1978 | |
| 39 | Luis Monge Álvarez (1925–2016) | 8 May 1982 | 8 May 1986 | National Liberation | 1982 | |
| 40 | Óscar Arias Sánchez (born 1940) | 8 May 1986 | 8 May 1990 | National Liberation | 1986 | Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987). First term. |
| 41 | Rafael Calderón Fournier (born 1949) | 8 May 1990 | 8 May 1994 | Social Christian Unity | 1990 | Son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia. |
| 42 | José Figueres Olsen (born 1954) | 8 May 1994 | 8 May 1998 | National Liberation | 1994 | Son of José Figueres Ferrer. |
| 43 | Miguel Rodríguez Echeverría (born 1940) | 8 May 1998 | 8 May 2002 | Social Christian Unity | 1998 | |
| 44 | Abel Pacheco de la Espriella (born 1933) | 8 May 2002 | 8 May 2006 | Social Christian Unity | 2002 | Presidential re-election re-instated. |
| 45 | Óscar Arias Sánchez (born 1940) | 8 May 2006 | 8 May 2010 | National Liberation | 2006 | Second term. |
| 46 | Laura Chinchilla Miranda (born 1959) | 8 May 2010 | 8 May 2014 | National Liberation | 2010 | First female president of Costa Rica. |
| 47 | Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera (born 1958) | 8 May 2014 | 8 May 2018 | Citizens' Action | 2014 | |
| 48 | Carlos Alvarado Quesada (born 1980) | 8 May 2018 | 8 May 2022 | Citizens' Action | 2018 | Youngest president since Alfredo González Flores (1914). First president to be called by Congress for hearing. |
| 49 | Rodrigo Chaves Robles (born 1961) | 8 May 2022 | Incumbent (Term ends on 8 May 2026) | Social Democratic Progress | 2022 | Incumbent |