Uspallata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Uspallata
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Village
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![]() Municipal House, Uspallata
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Country | ![]() |
Province | ![]() |
Department | Las Heras |
Elevation | 2,039 m (6,690 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 3,439 |
Postal code |
M5553
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Phone code | +54 261 |
Climate | BWk |
Uspallata is a village and administrative district in Argentina. It is located in a beautiful spot within the Andes mountains. The village sits on the main road that connects Mendoza in Argentina with Santiago in Chile.
Uspallata is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Mendoza. A long time ago, a train called the Transandine Railway used to pass through Uspallata. This railway connected Mendoza to Los Andes in Chile, but it is not used anymore.
Exploring Uspallata: What to See
There are several interesting places to visit in and around Uspallata.
Las Bovedas: Ancient Kilns
One cool spot is "las bovedas." These are old, egg-shaped ovens, or kilns, built in the early 1600s. People used them to get valuable metals like gold, silver, zinc, and copper from rocks mined nearby.
Las bovedas are only about 1.5 kilometers (less than a mile) from town. You can visit them and see a small museum. Some of the special bricks used to build these ovens still have "Rufford Stourbridge" stamped on them. This shows they came all the way from the West Midlands in England! It's a small reminder of how far trade reached back then.
Amazing Mountain Views
The road from Uspallata towards the Chilean border offers some of the most amazing views in the region. The Andes mountains here are truly grand. You can even catch a quick glimpse of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes. Aconcagua stands almost 7,000 meters (about 23,000 feet) above sea level!
The Ochre Bridge
Further along the road, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) from Uspallata, you'll find a unique bridge. It crosses the Mendoza River and looks like it's made from sulfur-rich hot springs. The bridge has a distinct ochre (yellow-orange) color, which makes it stand out in the landscape.
Uspallata's Environment
Climate and Weather
Uspallata has a cold desert climate. This means it's generally dry and can get quite chilly. On average, the village receives about 156 millimeters (6 inches) of rain each year.
Summers in Uspallata have pleasant days and cool nights. Winters are cold, and it can even snow.
Climate data for Uspallata | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25 (77) |
24.1 (75.4) |
21.4 (70.5) |
18.4 (65.1) |
14.3 (57.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
11.2 (52.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
17.9 (64.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) |
16 (61) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.6 (51.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
5 (41) |
4.6 (40.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.1 (44.8) |
10.1 (50.2) |
13.1 (55.6) |
16 (61) |
10.5 (50.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
5.5 (41.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−2 (28) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
0 (32) |
2.9 (37.2) |
5.2 (41.4) |
8.2 (46.8) |
3.1 (37.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 24 (0.9) |
25 (1.0) |
15 (0.6) |
6 (0.2) |
6 (0.2) |
8 (0.3) |
9 (0.4) |
11 (0.4) |
7 (0.3) |
9 (0.4) |
16 (0.6) |
20 (0.8) |
156 (6.1) |
Source: Climate-data.org, altitude: 1894m |
Getting Around
Uspallata has its own airport, called Uspallata Airport. This helps people travel to and from the village.
See also
In Spanish: Uspallata para niños