Cantons of Costa Rica
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Costa Rica is administratively divided into seven provinces which are subdivided into 81 cantons, and these are further subdivided into districts. Cantons are the only administrative division in Costa Rica that possess local government in the form of municipalities. Each municipality has its own mayor and several county representatives, all of them chosen via municipal elections ever four years.
The largest canton by population is the capital San José with a population of 288,054. The smallest canton by population is Turrubares with 5,512 residents.[1] The largest canton by land area is San Carlos, which spans 3,347.98 km2 (1,292.66 sq mi), while the smallest is Flores at 6.96 km2 (2.69 sq mi).[2]
List of cantons
Name | Province | Population (2011)[1] |
Population (2000)[3] |
Change (%)[3][1] |
Land area (km²)[2] |
Population density |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San José | San José | 288,054 | 309,672 | −7.0% | 44.62 | 6,455.7/km2 |
Escazú | San José | 56,509 | 52,372 | +7.9% | 34.49 | 1,638.4/km2 |
Desamparados | San José | 208,411 | 193,478 | +7.7% | 118.26 | 1,762.3/km2 |
Puriscal | San José | 33,004 | 29,407 | +12.2% | 553.66 | 59.6/km2 |
Tarrazú | San José | 16,280 | 14,160 | +15.0% | 297.50 | 54.7/km2 |
Aserrí | San José | 57,892 | 49,319 | +17.4% | 167.10 | 346.5/km2 |
Mora | San José | 26,294 | 21,666 | +21.4% | 162.04 | 162.3/km2 |
Goicoechea | San José | 115,084 | 117,532 | −2.1% | 31.50 | 3,653.5/km2 |
Santa Ana | San José | 49,123 | 34,507 | +42.4% | 61.42 | 799.8/km2 |
Alajuelita | San José | 77,603 | 70,297 | +10.4% | 21.17 | 3,665.7/km2 |
Vázquez de Coronado | San José | 60,486 | 55,585 | +8.8% | 222.20 | 272.2/km2 |
Acosta | San José | 20,209 | 18,661 | +8.3% | 342.24 | 59.0/km2 |
Tibás | San José | 64,842 | 72,074 | −10.0% | 8.15 | 7,956.1/km2 |
Moravia | San José | 56,919 | 50,419 | +12.9% | 28.62 | 1,988.8/km2 |
Montes de Oca | San José | 49,132 | 50,433 | −2.6% | 15.16 | 3,240.9/km2 |
Turrubares | San José | 5,512 | 4,877 | +13.0% | 415.29 | 13.3/km2 |
Dota | San José | 6,948 | 6,519 | +6.6% | 400.22 | 17.4/km2 |
Curridabat | San José | 65,206 | 60,889 | +7.1% | 15.95 | 4,088.2/km2 |
Pérez Zeledón | San José | 134,534 | 122,187 | +10.1% | 1,905.51 | 70.6/km2 |
León Cortés Castro | San José | 12,200 | 11,696 | +4.3% | 120.80 | 101.0/km2 |
Alajuela | Alajuela | 254,886 | 222,853 | +14.4% | 758.32 | 336.1/km2 |
San Ramón | Alajuela | 80,566 | 67,975 | +18.5% | 1,018.64 | 79.1/km2 |
Grecia | Alajuela | 76,898 | 65,119 | +18.1% | 395.72 | 194.3/km2 |
San Mateo | Alajuela | 6,136 | 5,343 | +14.8% | 125.90 | 48.7/km2 |
Atenas | Alajuela | 25,460 | 22,479 | +13.3% | 127.19 | 200.2/km2 |
Naranjo | Alajuela | 42,713 | 37,602 | +13.6% | 126.62 | 337.3/km2 |
Palmares | Alajuela | 34,716 | 29,766 | +16.6% | 38.06 | 912.1/km2 |
Poás | Alajuela | 29,199 | 24,764 | +17.9% | 73.84 | 395.4/km2 |
Orotina | Alajuela | 20,341 | 15,705 | +29.5% | 141.92 | 143.3/km2 |
San Carlos | Alajuela | 163,745 | 127,140 | +28.8% | 3,347.98 | 48.9/km2 |
Zarcero | Alajuela | 12,205 | 10,845 | +12.5% | 155.13 | 78.7/km2 |
Valverde Vega | Alajuela | 18,085 | 16,239 | +11.4% | 120.25 | 150.4/km2 |
Upala | Alajuela | 43,953 | 37,679 | +16.7% | 1,580.67 | 27.8/km2 |
Los Chiles | Alajuela | 23,735 | 19,732 | +20.3% | 1,358.86 | 17.5/km2 |
Guatuso | Alajuela | 15,508 | 13,045 | +18.9% | 758.32 | 20.5/km2 |
Cartago | Cartago | 147,898 | 132,057 | +12.0% | 287.77 | 513.9/km2 |
Paraíso | Cartago | 57,743 | 52,393 | +10.2% | 411.91 | 140.2/km2 |
La Unión | Cartago | 99,399 | 80,279 | +23.8% | 44.83 | 2,217.2/km2 |
Jiménez | Cartago | 14,669 | 14,046 | +4.4% | 286.43 | 51.2/km2 |
Turrialba | Cartago | 69,616 | 68,510 | +1.6% | 1,642.67 | 42.4/km2 |
Alvarado | Cartago | 14,312 | 12,290 | +16.5% | 81.06 | 176.6/km2 |
Oreamuno | Cartago | 45,473 | 39,032 | +16.5% | 202.31 | 224.8/km2 |
El Guarco | Cartago | 41,793 | 33,788 | +23.7% | 167.69 | 249.2/km2 |
Heredia | Heredia | 123,616 | 103,894 | +19.0% | 282.60 | 437.4/km2 |
Barva | Heredia | 40,660 | 32,440 | +25.3% | 53.80 | 755.8/km2 |
Santo Domingo | Heredia | 40,072 | 34,748 | +15.3% | 24.84 | 1,613.2/km2 |
Santa Bárbara | Heredia | 36,243 | 29,181 | +24.2% | 53.21 | 681.1/km2 |
San Rafael | Heredia | 45,965 | 37,293 | +23.3% | 48.39 | 949.9/km2 |
San Isidro | Heredia | 20,633 | 16,056 | +28.5% | 26.96 | 765.3/km2 |
Belén | Heredia | 21,633 | 19,834 | +9.1% | 12.15 | 1,780.5/km2 |
Flores | Heredia | 20,037 | 15,038 | +33.2% | 6.96 | 2,878.9/km2 |
San Pablo | Heredia | 27,671 | 20,813 | +33.0% | 7.53 | 3,674.8/km2 |
Sarapiquí | Heredia | 57,147 | 45,435 | +25.8% | 2,140.54 | 26.7/km2 |
Liberia | Guanacaste | 62,987 | 46,703 | +34.9% | 1,436.47 | 43.8/km2 |
Nicoya | Guanacaste | 50,825 | 42,189 | +20.5% | 1,333.68 | 38.1/km2 |
Santa Cruz | Guanacaste | 55,104 | 40,821 | +35.0% | 1,312.27 | 42.0/km2 |
Bagaces | Guanacaste | 19,536 | 15,972 | +22.3% | 1,273.49 | 15.3/km2 |
Carrillo | Guanacaste | 37,122 | 27,306 | +35.9% | 577.54 | 64.3/km2 |
Cañas | Guanacaste | 26,201 | 24,076 | +8.8% | 682.20 | 38.4/km2 |
Abangares | Guanacaste | 18,039 | 16,276 | +10.8% | 675.76 | 26.7/km2 |
Tilarán | Guanacaste | 19,640 | 17,871 | +9.9% | 638.39 | 30.8/km2 |
Nandayure | Guanacaste | 11,121 | 9,985 | +11.4% | 565.59 | 19.7/km2 |
La Cruz | Guanacaste | 19,181 | 16,505 | +16.2% | 1,383.90 | 13.9/km2 |
Hojancha | Guanacaste | 7,197 | 6,534 | +10.1% | 261.42 | 27.5/km2 |
Puntarenas | Puntarenas | 115,019 | 102,504 | +12.2% | 1,842.33 | 62.4/km2 |
Esparza | Puntarenas | 28,644 | 23,963 | +19.5% | 216.80 | 132.1/km2 |
Buenos Aires | Puntarenas | 45,244 | 40,139 | +12.7% | 2,384.22 | 19.0/km2 |
Montes de Oro | Puntarenas | 12,950 | 11,159 | +16.0% | 244.76 | 52.9/km2 |
Osa | Puntarenas | 29,433 | 25,861 | +13.8% | 1,930.24 | 15.2/km2 |
Aguirre | Puntarenas | 26,861 | 20,188 | +33.1% | 543.77 | 49.4/km2 |
Golfito | Puntarenas | 39,150 | 33,823 | +15.7% | 1,753.96 | 22.3/km2 |
Coto Brus | Puntarenas | 38,453 | 40,082 | −4.1% | 933.91 | 41.2/km2 |
Parrita | Puntarenas | 16,115 | 12,112 | +33.0% | 478.79 | 33.7/km2 |
Corredores | Puntarenas | 41,831 | 37,274 | +12.2% | 620.60 | 67.4/km2 |
Garabito | Puntarenas | 17,229 | 10,378 | +66.0% | 316.31 | 54.5/km2 |
Limón | Limón | 94,415 | 89,933 | +5.0% | 1,765.79 | 53.5/km2 |
Pococí | Limón | 125,962 | 103,121 | +22.1% | 2,403.49 | 52.4/km2 |
Siquirres | Limón | 56,786 | 52,409 | +8.4% | 860.19 | 66.0/km2 |
Talamanca | Limón | 30,712 | 25,857 | +18.8% | 2,809.93 | 10.9/km2 |
Matina | Limón | 37,721 | 33,096 | +14.0% | 772.64 | 48.8/km2 |
Guácimo | Limón | 41,266 | 34,879 | +18.3% | 576.48 | 71.6/km2 |
Costa Rica | — | 4,301,712 | 3,810,179 | +12.9% | 51,100 | 84.2/km2 |