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Upala
District
Upala district location in Costa Rica
Upala district location in Costa Rica
Upala
Location in Costa Rica
Country  Costa Rica
Province Alajuela
Canton Upala
Area
 • Total 148.65 km2 (57.39 sq mi)
Elevation
48 m (157 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total 16,139
 • Density 108.570/km2 (281.196/sq mi)
Time zone UTC−06:00
Postal code
21301

Upala is a district of the Upala canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica.

History

Upala was granted the title of "ciudad" (city) by a law of May 4, 1970.

Geography

Upala has an area of 148.65 km2 and an elevation of 48 metres.

It is in the northwest corner of the San Carlos Plain (Llanura de San Carlos) in northern Costa Rica, 76 kilometers (47 mi) southeast of La Cruz, 124 kilometers (77 mi) northwest of Ciudad Quesada, 195 kilometers (121 mi) from the provincial capital city of Alajuela, and 214 kilometers (133 mi) from the national capital city of San José.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1963 10,001
1973 5,492 −45.1%
1984 7,008 27.6%
2000 12,372 76.5%
2011 16,139 30.4%

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos
Centro Centroamericano de Población

For the 2011 census, Upala had a population of 16,139 inhabitants.

Transportation

Road transportation

The district is covered by the following road routes:

  • CR RNP 4.svg National Route 4
  • CR RNP 6.svg National Route 6
  • CR RNS 138.svg National Route 138
  • CR RNS 164.svg National Route 164
  • CR RNT 728.svg National Route 728
  • CR RNT 729.svg National Route 729
  • CR RNT 730.svg National Route 730
  • CR RNT 731.svg National Route 731

Economy

Upala is a supply center for cattle ranchers and rice growers in the area. A hospital, bank, medical clinic, pharmacy and gas station are here. There is a busy commercial marketplace in the town center where vendors sell fruits, vegetables and a wide array of other home-grown products. Several small restaurants share the market area, and there are other restaurants and a few places to stay in the town.

Nearby places of interest

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge: a watery lowland of lush sloughs and marshes, a seasonal lake, and abundant wildlife. The area is a birdwatcher's paradise. (37 kilometers (23 mi) east of Upala via Highway 4 to Colonia Puntarenas and Highway 138 to Caño Negro)

Climate

This area typically has a pronounced dry season. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Upala has a tropical savanna climate, abbreviated "Aw" on climate maps.

Climate data for Upala
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30.6
(87.1)
31.3
(88.3)
33.1
(91.6)
34.0
(93.2)
34.0
(93.2)
32.8
(91.0)
31.8
(89.2)
32.4
(90.3)
32.5
(90.5)
32.1
(89.8)
31.1
(88.0)
30.6
(87.1)
32.2
(90.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.4
(75.9)
24.6
(76.3)
25.7
(78.3)
26.4
(79.5)
26.9
(80.4)
26.8
(80.2)
26.3
(79.3)
26.5
(79.7)
26.5
(79.7)
26.2
(79.2)
25.4
(77.7)
24.7
(76.5)
25.9
(78.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 18.2
(64.8)
17.9
(64.2)
18.2
(64.8)
18.7
(65.7)
19.8
(67.6)
20.8
(69.4)
20.7
(69.3)
20.7
(69.3)
20.5
(68.9)
20.4
(68.7)
19.7
(67.5)
18.9
(66.0)
19.5
(67.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 111.1
(4.37)
68.0
(2.68)
38.2
(1.50)
53.4
(2.10)
185.1
(7.29)
325.3
(12.81)
322.0
(12.68)
317.9
(12.52)
281.0
(11.06)
283.9
(11.18)
227.9
(8.97)
185.2
(7.29)
2,399
(94.45)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 16 10 7 7 15 22 24 23 21 21 19 19 204
Average relative humidity (%) 86.8 82.6 78.0 76.2 82.0 87.9 88.8 88.7 87.2 87.5 88.2 88.1 85.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 155.0 163.9 207.7 186.0 158.1 117.0 89.9 108.5 117.0 130.2 123.0 127.1 1,683.4
Mean daily sunshine hours 5.0 5.8 6.7 6.2 5.1 3.9 2.9 3.5 3.9 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.6
Source: Instituto Meteorologico Nacional (precipitation 1963–2012, temperatures 1990–2013, sun 1984–1995, humidity 1989–2013)
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