[2][3][4] The Tico Times was founded in 1956 as a student newspaper under the guidance of Elisabeth "Betty" Dyer at the Lincoln School in San José, Costa Rica's capital.

[1] The print edition "reached its heyday between 2005 and 2007, flush with real-estate advertisements aimed at foreign tourists during the U.S. housing boom".

It laid off its entire 16-person staff, who worked for free as volunteers while the business was being restructured as an online-only publication.

[1] After the brief closure following the death of owner Jonathan Harris in mid-2017, The Tico Times returned to its online and print editions in late 2017 under new ownership.

On April 1, 2018, The Tico Times became the first media organization in Costa Rica to use 360 video in electoral coverage.