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San Carlos (canton)
Canton in Alajuela province, Costa Rica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
San Carlos is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica, with an estimated population of 198,742 as of 2022. It ranks as the fourth-most populous canton in the country and is the 1st largest by area. It borders Nicaragua to the north, San Ramón, Zarcero and Sarchí the south, Río Cuarto and Sarapiquí to the east, and Los Chiles, Guatuso, Tilarán, and San Ramón to the west. [1][2]Due to its shared northern boundary, the canton has occasionally been the site of geopolitical incidents, including a fatal 2019 border incursion involving the Nicaraguan military in the district of Pocosol. The capital city of the canton is Ciudad Quesada.
San Carlos | |
|---|---|
.svg) Flag | |
| Motto: Generoso y progresista (Spanish) "Generous and Progressive" | |
 San Carlos canton | |
  San Carlos San Carlos canton location in Alajuela Province  San Carlos San Carlos canton location in Costa Rica | |
| Coordinates: 10.6203924°N 84.512°W | |
| Country |  Costa Rica |
| Province | Alajuela |
| Creation | 26 September 1911 |
| Head city | Quesada |
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Municipalidad de San Carlos |
| • Mayor | Juan Diego González Picado (PLN) |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,352.33 km2 (1,294.34 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 340 m (1,120 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 163,745 |
• Estimate (2022) | 198,742 |
| • Density | 48.8451/km2 (126.508/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Canton code | 210 |
| Website | www |
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The canton is known for its extensive plains, high levels of rainfall, and fertile soils, which make it one of Costa Rica's most productive economic regions. While the heavy rainfall supports the agricultural sector, it also makes the region highly susceptible to severe flooding and infrastructure damage, frequently requiring intervention and assessment by the National Emergency Commission (CNE). Its economy is driven by a wide range of agricultural activities, including cattle ranching, beef and dairy production, and the cultivation of crops such as sugarcane, pineapple, citrus fruits, tubers, and basic grains.
A notable feature of the canton is the Arenal Volcano, located in the district of La Fortuna. This active stratovolcano, which rises to 1,670 metres (5,479 ft) above sea level, is distinguished by its nearly symmetrical cone shape and its prominence over the surrounding flat terrain. The volcano and its surrounding area constitute one of the four most visited tourist destinations in Costa Rica by both domestic and international travelers. At the base of the volcano lies Lake Arenal, an artificial reservoir shared between San Carlos and Tilarán. It serves as the primary source of hydroelectricity in Costa Rica.
History
Long before the establishment of modern municipalities, the region was inhabited by complex pre-Columbian indigenous societies, with significant archaeological evidence of these early settlements discovered in areas such as Venecia de San Carlos and Curtis. During the first administration of Emanuel Vega Pérez, on 26 September 1911, Law No. 17 granted the title of town to La Unión, changing its name to Quesada, the capital of the canton created at that time, San Carlos. Later, on 8 July 1953, during the government of Otilio Ulate Blanco, the town was granted city status.[3]
Geography
San Carlos has an area of 3,352.33 km2 (1,294.34 sq mi)[4] and a mean elevation of 340 m (1,120 ft).[1]
The canton encompasses a major portion of the San Carlos Plain, a wide expanse on the Caribbean side of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range). San Carlos reaches north to the border of Nicaragua, east to the province of Heredia, west to the province of Guanacaste, and south into the heights of the Cordillera.
San Carlos is noted as the home of Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The canton's principal economic activities include the production of oranges, yuca, pineapple, sugar cane, beef and dairy products. More than 50% of the national dairy production in Costa Rica comes from San Carlos.
Government
Mayor
According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton.[5] As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the National Liberation Party candidate, Juan Diego González Picado, was elected mayor of the canton with 33.09% of the votes, with Pilar Porras Zúñiga and Diana Murillo Murillo as first and second vice mayors, respectively.[6]
Municipal Council
Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. San Carlos' Municipal Council has 9 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor (regidor propietario) is absent.[5] The current president of the Municipal Council is the Social Christian Unity Party member, Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas.[8] The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:
 | |||||
| Political parties in the Municipal Council of San Carlos | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political party | Regidores | ||||
| № | Owner | Substitute | |||
 |
National Liberation Party (PLN) | 3 | Freddy Mauricio Rodríguez Quesada | Álvaro Ignacio Esquivel Castro | |
| Ashley Tatiana Brenes Alvarado | Marianela Murillo Vargas | ||||
| Sergio Chaves Acevedo | Eduardo Salas Rodríguez | ||||
 |
Costa Rica Rules Here (ACRM) | 2 | Luisa María Chacón Caamaño | Flor de María Blanco Solís | |
| Melvin López Sancho | Marco Aurelio Sirias Víctor | ||||
 |
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) | 2 | Julia Patricia Romero Barrientos | Amalia Salas Porras | |
| Esteban Rodríguez Murillo | Juan Pablo Rodríguez Acuña | ||||
 |
Progreser (PGS) | 1 | Jorge Luis Zapata Arroyo | Jorge Antonio Rodríguez Miranda | |
 |
Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) | 1 | Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas(P) | Mariam Torres Morera | |
Districts
The canton of San Carlos is subdivided into the following districts:
Demographics
San Carlos had an estimated 198,742 inhabitants in 2022, second highest in its province and fourth highest in the country, behind San José, Alajuela, and Desamparados.[12] This is an increase from 163,745 people for the 2011 census.[13]
According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme, San Carlos had a Human Development Index of 0.765 in 2022, putting it 6th highest in its province and 28th overall.[14]
Transportation
Road transportation
The canton is covered by the following road routes:
National Route 4
National Route 35
National Route 140
National Route 141
National Route 142
National Route 227
National Route 250
National Route 702
National Route 734
National Route 738
National Route 739
National Route 744
National Route 745
National Route 746
National Route 747
National Route 748
National Route 749
National Route 750
National Route 751
National Route 752
National Route 753
National Route 761
National Route 936
Education
There is a branch of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology in Santa Clara, San Carlos.
Sports
In federated soccer, San Carlos is represented by Asociación Deportiva San Carlos. This association also gives its name to numerous minor league teams that have notably excelled at the national level.