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Alajuela
Canton
Alajuela urban area
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Alajuela canton
AlajuelaAlajuela canton location in Alajuela ProvinceShow map of Alajuela ProvinceAlajuelaAlajuela canton location in Costa RicaShow map of Costa Rica
Coordinates: 10°09′50″N 84°15′52″W / 10.163979°N 84.2645463°W / 10.163979; -84.2645463
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Alajuela
Creation	7 December 1848
Head city	Alajuela
Districts	Districts Alajuela San José Carrizal San Antonio Guácima San Isidro Sabanilla San Rafael Río Segundo Desamparados Turrúcares Tambor Garita Sarapiquí
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Municipalidad de Alajuela
• Mayor	Roberto Hernán Thompson Chacón (PLN)
Area
• Total	391.62 km (151.21 sq mi)
Elevation	942 m (3,091 ft)
Population
• Total	254,886
• Estimate	322,143
• Density	650/km (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00
Canton code	201
Website	www.munialajuela.go.cr

Alajuela is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Its head city is the provincial capital city of Alajuela.

History

Alajuela was created on 7 December 1848 by decree 167.

Geography

Alajuela has an area of 391.62 km (151.21 sq mi) and a mean elevation of 942 m (3,091 ft).

Northward from the city of Alajuela, the canton continues along the border with the province of Heredia to its east, encompassing a strip of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) between Poas Volcano and Barva Volcano. On the Caribbean side of the mountains, the canton takes in a portion of the Sarapiquí area. The Río Poás (Poas River) forms the major portion of the canton's western border, finally giving way to the Río Poasito as the territory ascends into the Cordillera Central.

Southwest of the city of Alajuela, the canton of Alajuela ends at the confluence of the Río Grande (Great River) and the Río Virilla (Virilla River).

Government

Mayor

According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton. As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the National Liberation Party candidate, Roberto Hernán Thompson Chacón, was elected mayor of the canton with 22.73% of the votes, with Sofía Marcela González Barquero and Elías Mateo Chaves Hernández as first and second vice mayors, respectively.

Mayors of Alajuela since the 2002 elections

Period	Name	Party
2002–2006	Fabio Molina Rojas	PLN
2006–2010	Joyce Mary Zurcher Blen
2010–2016	Roberto Hernán Thompson Chacón
2016–2020
2020–2024	Humberto Soto Herrera
2024–2028	Roberto Hernán Thompson Chacón

Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. Alajuela's Municipal Council has 11 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor (regidor propietario) is absent. The current president of the Municipal Council is the Let's Renovate Alajuela Party member, Francisco Javier Sánchez Gómez, with National Liberation Party member, Mercedes Gutiérrez Carvajal, as vice president. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Current composition of the Municipal Council of Alajuela after the 2024 municipal elections

Political parties in the Municipal Council of Alajuela
Political party			Regidores
			№	Owner	Substitute
	National Liberation Party (PLN)		3	Marvin Venegas Melendéz	Luis Emilio Hernández León
				Mercedes Gutiérrez Carvajal	Argerie María Córdoba Rodríguez
				Eder Francisco Hernández Ulloa	Luis Porfirio Campos Porras
	Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC)		2	Jorge Arturo Campos Araya	Marvin Alberto Mora Bolaños
				Kathia Marcela Guzmán Cerdas	María Fernanda Marten Rodríguez
	Let's Renovate Alajuela Party (PRA)		1	Francisco Javier Sánchez Gómez	Ananias Fuentes Navarro
	Social Democratic Progress Party (PSD)		1	Sergio Murillo Picado	Eduardo Naranjo Muñoz
	Our Town Party (PNP)		1	Germán Vinicio Aguilar Solano	Humberto Soto Herrera
	Costa Rica Rules Here (ACRM)		1	Bernal Alonso Soto Saborío	Osvaldo Alpizar Núñez
	Alajuela's Awakening (DA)		1	Ana Patricia Guillén Campos	Marlene Garita Santamaría
	Progressive Liberal Party (PLP)		1	Yadu Graciela Fuentes Araya	Katia Vanessa Arroyo Vargas

Landmarks

In the center of Alajuela, next to Parque de Alajuela, also known as "Parque de los Mangos", is Alajuela Cathedral, whose main feature is its red dome. This park is a popular place for locals to socialize, especially in the afternoons. One block west of the park is the Mercado Central de Alajuela, a bustling shopping centre. Poás Volcano National Park is about 37 kilometres (23 mi) north of Alajuela city and is known for its five waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

To the north of the Central Park is the Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría. This museum, situated in a building built in 1894-45, which was formerly a prison in the barracks of Alajuela, contains many historical maps, artifacts and portraits of the 1856-1857 campaign. In 1977 it became the headquarters of the Centro de Investigación para el Perfeccionamiento Técnico (CIPET), an institution of the Ministry of Public Education.

Districts

The canton of Alajuela is subdivided into the following districts:

1. Alajuela
2. San José
3. Carrizal
4. San Antonio
5. Guácima
6. San Isidro
7. Sabanilla
8. San Rafael
9. Río Segundo
10. Desamparados
11. Turrúcares
12. Tambor
13. Garita
14. Sarapiquí

Demographics

Alajuela was estimated to have 322,143 inhabitants in 2022, an increase from its 254,886 at the time of the 2011 census.

Alajuela had a Human Development Index of 0.784 in 2022, the highest score in its province and 19th among all cantons in Costa Rica.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:

• National Route 1
• National Route 3
• National Route 27
• National Route 107
• National Route 111
• National Route 118
• National Route 119
• National Route 120
• National Route 122
• National Route 123
• National Route 124
• National Route 125
• National Route 126
• National Route 130
• National Route 136
• National Route 140
• National Route 146
• National Route 147
• National Route 153
• National Route 712
• National Route 718
• National Route 719
• National Route 721
• National Route 727

Rail transportation

The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton.

Economy

It is a major area for the production of coffee, strawberries and ornamental plants. The Doka Estate lies within the canton, in Sabanilla District, and is a major coffee producing estate, supplying directly to Starbucks.

Notes

1. Also legally named Francisco Javier Sánchez Cabezas.

References

1. ^ "Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP". Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
2. ^ División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional. 8 March 2017. ISBN 978-9977-58-477-5.
3. Instituto Geográfico Nacional de Costa Rica (20 June 2024). "División Territorial Administrativa, 2024 – Totales de Provincias, Cantones y Distritos de Costa Rica" [Administrative Territorial Division, 2024 – Totals of Provinces, Cantons and Districts of Costa Rica] (PDF) (in Spanish).
4. ^ Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (13 May 2024). "Código Municipal" [Municipal Code]. Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish).
5. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (8 March 2024). "N.° 2156-E11-2024 - Declaratoria de elección de alcaldías y vicealcaldías de las municipalidades de los cantones de la provincia de Alajuela, para el período comprendido entre el primero de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro y el treinta de abril de dos mil veintiocho" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
6. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. "Resoluciones declaratorias de elección". Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2024.
7. "Regidores". Municipalidad de Alajuela (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 July 2024.
8. Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (12 March 2024). "N.° 2219-E11-2024 - Declaratoria de elección de regidurías de las municipalidades de los cantones de la provincia de Alajuela, para el período comprendido entre el primero de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro y el treinta de abril de dos mil veintiocho" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
9. Fodor's Costa Rica 2012. Fodor's. November 2011. p. 267. ISBN 9780307929044.
10. "Museo (arquitectura)" (in Spanish). Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
11. "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos" (in Spanish).
12. Centro Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad de Costa Rica. "Sistema de Consulta a Bases de Datos Estadísticas" (in Spanish).
13. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (July 2023). Estimación de Población y Vivienda 2022 : Resultados Generales [2022 Population and Housing Estimate : General Results] (PDF) (in Spanish). ISBN 9789930525753. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
14. "Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
15. Sistema Nacional de Información y Registro Único de Beneficiarios del Estado; Escuela de Estadística de la Universidad de Costa Rica; Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (9 June 2023). "Atlas de Desarrollo Humano Cantonal en Costa Rica, 2022". Retrieved 30 July 2024.
16. McNeil, John (2011). The Rough Guide to Costa Rica. Rough Guides. p. 121. ISBN 9781858287133.
17. Drew, Keith (2012). The Rough Guide to Costa Rica. Rough Guides. p. 133. ISBN 9781405391993.
18. Glassman, Paul (2006). Costa Rica Guide. Open Road Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 9781593600686.

• Cantons of Alajuela Province
• Populated places in Alajuela Province