Cantons of Costa Rica facts for kids
Costa Rica is administratively divided into seven provinces which are subdivided into 84 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 representatives, all of them chosen via municipal elections every four years.
The original 14 cantons were established in 1848, and the number has risen gradually by the division of existing cantons. Law no. 4366 of 19 August 1969, which outlines the creation of administrative divisions of Costa Rica, states that new cantons may only be created if they have at least one percent of the republic's total population, which was 5,044,197 as of the latest estimate (2022). The newest canton, Puerto Jiménez, was created on June 21, 2022, from the canton of Golfito.
According to the latest population estimate from the National Institute of Statistics and Census, the largest canton by population is the capital San José with a population of 352,381, while the smallest by population is Monteverde with 5,386 residents. The same estimate listed the largest canton by land area as San Carlos, which spans 3,352.14 km2 (1,294.27 sq mi) and the smallest as Flores at 6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi).
Political structure
Each canton is controlled by a government unit called Municipalidad. The term reflects the fact that the cantons in Costa Rica have approximately the same function as municipios ("municipalities") in many other Spanish-speaking countries. This administrative unit consists of two bodies: a municipal council (Concejo Municipal) and an executive officer called a mayor (alcalde / alcaldesa municipal), a title that was introduced in 1998.
The mayor's main duties are to liaise with the municipal council, district councils and the entire administrative apparatus of the canton, and to approve and implement the decisions taken by the municipal council. The number of members of the municipal council varies from one canton to another, and they are elected by local elections held every four years. The head of the council is titled the municipal president (presidente municipal). The council's main task is to manage the canton at the local level, and is responsible for planning basic policies and establishing budgets. More specifically, the responsibilities include urban and agricultural planning and organizing cultural affairs, health care, education and industry. Each municipal president appoints a number of working commissions that deal with issues specific to the municipality.
Cities in Costa Rica
According to the Executive Decree N°41548-MGP (Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República), a city in Costa Rica is a ceremonial title awarded to a district or districts which contain the administrative center regardless of factors such as population, population density, or economic indicators. This designation is also known as cabecera de cantón, head city of the canton.
Cantons
- Largest Cantons of Costa Rica by population
-
San José, Costa Rica's capital and largest canton by population
-
Alajuela, Costa Rica's second largest canton by population
-
Desamparados, Costa Rica's third largest canton by population and suburb of San Jose
-
Pavilion of Ciudad Quesada, located in Costa Rica's fourth largest canton by population, San Carlos
Provincial Capital
National Capital and Provincial Capital
| Canton | City | Province | Population (2022) |
Population (2011) |
Change | Land area (km2) | Population density (2022) | Incorporation date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San José |
San José | San José | 352,381 | 288,054 | +22.3% | 44.62 | 7,897.4/km2 | 1848 |
| Escazú | Escazú | San José | 71,500 | 56,509 | +26.5% | 34.53 | 2,070.7/km2 | 1848 |
| Desamparados | Desamparados | San José | 223,226 | 208,411 | +7.1% | 118.89 | 1,877.6/km2 | 1862 |
| Puriscal | Santiago | San José | 38,525 | 33,004 | +16.7% | 555.04 | 69.4/km2 | 1868 |
| Tarrazú | San Marcos | San José | 17,810 | 16,280 | +9.4% | 291.27 | 61.1/km2 | 1868 |
| Aserrí | Aserrí | San José | 59,588 | 57,892 | +2.9% | 168.26 | 354.1/km2 | 1882 |
| Mora | Colón | San José | 32,348 | 26,294 | +23.0% | 163.48 | 197.9/km2 | 1883 |
| Goicoechea | Guadalupe | San José | 132,104 | 115,084 | +14.8% | 31.7 | 4,167.3/km2 | 1891 |
| Santa Ana | Santa Ana | San José | 58,020 | 49,123 | +18.1% | 61.42 | 944.6/km2 | 1907 |
| Alajuelita | Alajuelita | San José | 81,012 | 77,603 | +4.4% | 21.47 | 3,773.3/km2 | 1909 |
| Vázquez de Coronado | San Isidro | San José | 67,078 | 60,486 | +10.9% | 223.93 | 299.5/km2 | 1910 |
| Acosta | San Ignacio | San José | 22,542 | 20,209 | +11.5% | 342.56 | 65.8/km2 | 1910 |
| Tibás | San Juan | San José | 74,592 | 64,842 | +15.0% | 8.27 | 9,019.6/km2 | 1914 |
| Moravia | San Vicente | San José | 59,546 | 56,919 | +4.6% | 28.82 | 2,066.1/km2 | 1914 |
| Montes de Oca | San Pedro | San José | 53,862 | 49,132 | +9.6% | 15.78 | 3,413.3/km2 | 1915 |
| Turrubares | San Pablo | San José | 6,173 | 5,512 | +12.0% | 416.25 | 14.8/km2 | 1920 |
| Dota | Santa María | San José | 9,364 | 6,948 | +34.8% | 404.44 | 23.2/km2 | 1925 |
| Curridabat | Curridabat | San José | 71,026 | 65,206 | +8.9% | 16.06 | 4,422.5/km2 | 1929 |
| Pérez Zeledón | San Isidro de El General | San José | 156,917 | 134,534 | +16.6% | 1,901.08 | 82.5/km2 | 1931 |
| León Cortés Castro | San Pablo | San José | 13,553 | 12,200 | +11.1% | 121.9 | 111.2/km2 | 1961 |
| Alajuela |
Alajuela | Alajuela | 322,143 | 254,886 | +26.4% | 391.61 | 822.6/km2 | 1848 |
| San Ramón | San Ramón | Alajuela | 93,264 | 80,566 | +15.8% | 1,021.75 | 91.3/km2 | 1856 |
| Grecia | Grecia | Alajuela | 76,226 | 76,898 | −0.9% | 142.47 | 535.0/km2 | 1848 |
| San Mateo | San Mateo | Alajuela | 6,952 | 6,136 | +13.3% | 125.03 | 55.6/km2 | 1868 |
| Atenas | Atenas | Alajuela | 30,407 | 25,460 | +19.4% | 126.32 | 240.7/km2 | 1868 |
| Naranjo | Naranjo | Alajuela | 46,647 | 42,713 | +9.2% | 127.03 | 367.2/km2 | 1886 |
| Palmares | Palmares | Alajuela | 39,148 | 34,716 | +12.8% | 38.94 | 1,005.3/km2 | 1888 |
| Poás | San Pedro | Alajuela | 36,207 | 29,199 | +24.0% | 74.48 | 486.1/km2 | 1901 |
| Orotina | Orotina | Alajuela | 24,217 | 20,341 | +19.1% | 145.11 | 166.9/km2 | 1908 |
| San Carlos | Quesada | Alajuela | 198,742 | 163,745 | +21.4% | 3,352.14 | 59.3/km2 | 1911 |
| Zarcero | Zarcero | Alajuela | 15,153 | 12,205 | +24.2% | 157.36 | 96.3/km2 | 1915 |
| Sarchí | Sarchí Norte | Alajuela | 21,562 | 18,085 | +19.2% | 136.77 | 157.7/km2 | 1949 |
| Upala | Upala | Alajuela | 57,361 | 43,953 | +30.5% | 1,592.68 | 36.0/km2 | 1970 |
| Los Chiles | Los Chiles | Alajuela | 34,701 | 23,735 | +46.2% | 1,332.71 | 26.0/km2 | 1970 |
| Guatuso | San Rafael | Alajuela | 18,316 | 15,508 | +18.1% | 752.83 | 24.3/km2 | 1970 |
| Río Cuarto | Río Cuarto | Alajuela | 14,418 | 11,074 | +30.2% | 254.9 | 56.6/km2 | 2017 |
| Cartago |
Cartago | Cartago | 165,417 | 147,898 | +11.8% | 278.66 | 593.6/km2 | 1848 |
| Paraíso | Paraíso | Cartago | 65,941 | 57,743 | +14.2% | 477 | 138.2/km2 | 1848 |
| La Unión | Tres Ríos | Cartago | 99,539 | 99,399 | +0.1% | 44.18 | 2,253.0/km2 | 1848 |
| Jiménez | Juan Viñas | Cartago | 18,710 | 14,669 | +27.5% | 250.07 | 74.8/km2 | 1903 |
| Turrialba | Turrialba | Cartago | 82,065 | 69,616 | +17.9% | 1,589.24 | 51.6/km2 | 1903 |
| Alvarado | Pacayas | Cartago | 17,134 | 14,312 | +19.7% | 79.19 | 216.4/km2 | 1908 |
| Oreamuno | San Rafael | Cartago | 48,911 | 45,473 | +7.6% | 202.89 | 241.1/km2 | 1914 |
| El Guarco | El Tejar | Cartago | 47,375 | 41,793 | +13.4% | 172 | 275.4/km2 | 1939 |
| Heredia |
Heredia | Heredia | 131,901 | 123,616 | +6.7% | 283.12 | 465.9/km2 | 1848 |
| Barva | Barva | Heredia | 47,699 | 40,660 | +17.3% | 56.02 | 851.5/km2 | 1848 |
| Santo Domingo | Santo Domingo | Heredia | 45,932 | 40,072 | +14.6% | 25.4 | 1,808.3/km2 | 1869 |
| Santa Bárbara | Santa Bárbara | Heredia | 39,133 | 36,243 | +8.0% | 52.1 | 751.1/km2 | 1882 |
| San Rafael | San Rafael | Heredia | 48,848 | 45,965 | +6.3% | 48.31 | 1,011.1/km2 | 1885 |
| San Isidro | San Isidro | Heredia | 22,806 | 20,633 | +10.5% | 26.67 | 855.1/km2 | 1905 |
| Belén | San Antonio | Heredia | 23,759 | 21,633 | +9.8% | 12.38 | 1,919.1/km2 | 1907 |
| Flores | San Joaquín | Heredia | 22,026 | 20,037 | +9.9% | 6.75 | 3,263.1/km2 | 1915 |
| San Pablo | San Pablo | Heredia | 29,860 | 27,671 | +7.9% | 8.34 | 3,580.3/km2 | 1961 |
| Sarapiquí | Puerto Viejo | Heredia | 67,153 | 57,147 | +17.5% | 2,144.22 | 31.3/km2 | 1970 |
| Liberia |
Liberia | Guanacaste | 80,130 | 62,987 | +27.2% | 1,442.17 | 55.6/km2 | 1848 |
| Nicoya | Nicoya | Guanacaste | 66,268 | 50,825 | +30.4% | 1,337.56 | 49.5/km2 | 1848 |
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Guanacaste | 72,366 | 55,104 | +31.3% | 1,320.8 | 54.8/km2 | 1848 |
| Bagaces | Bagaces | Guanacaste | 23,709 | 19,536 | +21.4% | 1,277.93 | 18.6/km2 | 1848 |
| Carrillo | Filadelfia | Guanacaste | 48,227 | 37,122 | +29.9% | 599.01 | 80.5/km2 | 1877 |
| Cañas | Cañas | Guanacaste | 31,738 | 26,201 | +21.1% | 687.04 | 46.2/km2 | 1878 |
| Abangares | Las Juntas | Guanacaste | 22,211 | 18,039 | +23.1% | 646.02 | 34.4/km2 | 1915 |
| Tilarán | Tilarán | Guanacaste | 21,232 | 19,640 | +8.1% | 669.24 | 31.7/km2 | 1923 |
| Nandayure | Carmona | Guanacaste | 11,874 | 11,121 | +6.8% | 568.14 | 20.9/km2 | 1961 |
| La Cruz | La Cruz | Guanacaste | 26,829 | 19,181 | +39.9% | 1,385.4 | 19.4/km2 | 1969 |
| Hojancha | Hojancha | Guanacaste | 8,224 | 7,197 | +14.3% | 262.99 | 31.3/km2 | 1971 |
| Puntarenas |
Puntarenas | Puntarenas | 141,697 | 115,019 | +23.2% | 1,816.86 | 78.0/km2 | 1862 |
| Esparza | Esparza (Espíritu Santo district) | Puntarenas | 34,808 | 28,644 | +21.5% | 217.23 | 160.2/km2 | 1848 |
| Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires | Puntarenas | 50,562 | 45,244 | +11.8% | 2,382.94 | 21.2/km2 | 1914 |
| Montes de Oro | Miramar | Puntarenas | 16,395 | 12,950 | +26.6% | 247.6 | 66.2/km2 | 1915 |
| Osa | Puerto Cortés | Puntarenas | 36,088 | 29,433 | +22.6% | 1,932.7 | 18.7/km2 | 1940 |
| Quepos | Quepos | Puntarenas | 32,416 | 26,861 | +20.7% | 557.85 | 58.1/km2 | 1948 |
| Golfito | Golfito | Puntarenas | 44,086 | 39,150 | +12.6% | 1,752.75 | 25.2/km2 | 1949 |
| Coto Brus | San Vito | Puntarenas | 46,351 | 38,453 | +20.5% | 944.22 | 49.1/km2 | 1965 |
| Parrita | Parrita | Puntarenas | 20,068 | 16,115 | +24.5% | 483.22 | 41.5/km2 | 1971 |
| Corredores | Ciudad Neily (Corredor district) | Puntarenas | 51,023 | 41,831 | +22.0% | 623.62 | 81.8/km2 | 1973 |
| Garabito | Jacó | Puntarenas | 26,672 | 17,229 | +54.8% | 316.01 | 84.4/km2 | 1980 |
| Monteverde | Monteverde | Puntarenas | 5,386 | 4,155 | +29.6% | 53.47 | 100.7/km2 | 2021 |
| Puerto Jiménez | Puerto Jiménez | Puntarenas | 10,644 | 8,789 | +21.1% | 720.43 | 14.8/km2 | 2022 |
| Limón |
Limón | Limón | 116,457 | 94,415 | +23.3% | 1,769.38 | 65.8/km2 | 1909 |
| Pococí | Guápiles | Limón | 146,320 | 125,962 | +16.2% | 2,188.17 | 66.9/km2 | 1911 |
| Siquirres | Siquirres | Limón | 63,765 | 56,786 | +12.3% | 855.14 | 74.6/km2 | 1969 |
| Talamanca | Bribrí (Bratsi district) | Limón | 48,906 | 30,712 | +59.2% | 2,792.23 | 17.5/km2 | 1911 |
| Matina | Matina | Limón | 45,329 | 37,721 | +20.2% | 770.4 | 58.8/km2 | 1969 |
| Guácimo | Guácimo | Limón | 49,606 | 41,266 | +20.2% | 801.56 | 61.9/km2 | 1971 |
| Costa Rica | 5,044,197 | 4,301,712 | +17.3% | 51,146.63 | 98.6/km2 |
See also
In Spanish: Cantones de Costa Rica para niños
- Provinces of Costa Rica
- Districts of Costa Rica
