Alajuela | |
|---|---|
        Images, from top down, left to right: Alajuela skyline at night, Central Church,Juan Santamaría Statue, Central Park, Municipal Theater, a traditional Costa Ricanbullock cart, theJuan Santamaría International Airport,Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium. | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: | |
| Motto: Pro Patria Nostra — Sanguis Noster For our country, our blood | |
 Alajuela and surrounding area | |
  Alajuela Location of Alajuela within Costa Rica | |
| Coordinates:10°01′N84°13′W / 10.017°N 84.217°W /10.017; -84.217 | |
| Country | Costa Rica |
| Province | Alajuela Province |
| Canton | Alajuela |
| Founded | 1782 |
| Government | |
| • Syndic | Francisco Salazar Sánchez |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.88 km2 (3.43 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 952 m (3,123 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 42,975 |
| • Density | 4,840/km2 (12,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Postal code | 20101 |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | Official website |
Alajuela (Spanish pronunciation:[alaˈxwela]) is a district in theAlajuela canton of theAlajuela Province ofCosta Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it is also the capital of the Province of Alajuela.[2][3]
Because of its location in theCosta Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays part of the conurbation of theGreater Metropolitan Area. The city is the birthplace ofJuan Santamaría, the national hero of Costa Rica and the figure who gives the name to the country's maininternational airport, which is south of Alajuela downtown.
Alajuela has an area of 8.89 km2 (3.43 sq mi)[4] and an elevation of 952 metres (3,123 ft).[2] It is located in theCentral Valley, 19 kilometres northwest ofSan José.
The climate istropical, typical of the Central Valley, but slightly warmer than San José. Temperatures are moderate, averaging 23–26 degrees Celsius (73–79 degrees Fahrenheit) with a low humidity level, with dewpoints around 20 (68 °F) almost all year round. Alajuela and its surroundings are famed for having "the best weather in the world".[5]
| Climate data for Alajuela (1956–2003) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.6 (83.5) | 29.6 (85.3) | 29.7 (85.5) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.7 (81.9) | 28.7 (83.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.1 (82.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 17.7 (63.9) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 17.9 (64.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 7.6 (0.30) | 12.6 (0.50) | 17.4 (0.69) | 79.6 (3.13) | 271.2 (10.68) | 265.6 (10.46) | 177.5 (6.99) | 253.8 (9.99) | 340.6 (13.41) | 338.5 (13.33) | 148.5 (5.85) | 32.8 (1.29) | 1,945.7 (76.62) |
| Average precipitation days | 2.0 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 8.2 | 21.6 | 23.3 | 20.1 | 21.8 | 25.2 | 25.5 | 16.0 | 5.9 | 174.5 |
| Source:World Meteorological Organization[6] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1864 | 2,339 | — |
| 1883 | 3,532 | +2.19% |
| 1892 | 3,828 | +0.90% |
| 1927 | 8,496 | +2.30% |
| 1950 | 13,903 | +2.16% |
| 1963 | 24,224 | +4.36% |
| 1973 | 33,122 | +3.18% |
| 1984 | 34,556 | +0.39% |
| 2000 | 42,889 | +1.36% |
| 2011 | 42,975 | +0.02% |
| 2022 | 44,374 | +0.29% |
| Source:Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[7] Centro Centroamericano de Población[8] | ||
For the2011 census, Alajuela had a population of 42,975 inhabitants.[9]
In pre-Columbian times the land where the canton of Alajuela is today was part of theWestern Huetar Kingdom, which was inhabited by native tribes, who at the time of the Spanish conquest were led byChief Garabito.
The first Spanish settlers established settlements in the region in about 1650.[10] In a letter of obligation granted in 1764, the place is mentioned as La Lajuela in the Valley of Barva, near the Canoas river.
In 1777, the dwellers of La Lajuela and Ciruelas, having been served with notice to move to Villa Vieja (today's Heredia), requested the provisional construction of a public place of prayer in the house of Don Dionysius Oconitrillo, of Spanish origin, 30 metres north of where Alajuela's cathedral is today.
After increases of population in the five existing quarters then: Targuaz, Puás, Ciruelas, La Lajuela and Rio Grande, the citizens faced difficulties to maintain their religious obligations, so they requested permission to establish a parish and a public place of prayer from the Bishop of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Monsignor don Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán.[10]
According to a motion issued in the Spanish Parliament ofCádiz on 19 May 1812, the first town hall of Alajuela was founded in 1813. On 18 December of the same year, the La Lajuela quarter obtained the title of town and it was renamed. It was first called "Villa Hermosa", then it was called "San Juan Nepomuceno de Alajuela" and finally the title of city was granted on 20 November 1824 and with it the name "Alajuela" which remains today.
Participation in important historical events by citizens of Alajuela has ensured the city's reputation as a storied place in Costa Rican history. The national hero Juan Santamaría, who died during theFilibuster War in 1856 to remove invaders threatening Costa Rica's sovereignty, was born in Alajuela. This historical event is celebrated and remembered every year on 11 April and it is a national holiday.
The area often experiences earthquakes. The2009 magnitude 6.1 earthquake caused several landslides.[11]
The main exports of the region are coffee, sugar-cane, maize, beans, tobacco, citrus fruits, strawberries, tubers like cassava, flowers and ornamental plants. Other commercial activities include poultry farming, beekeeping, pig farming and the dairy industry. More recently, Alajuela has seen important investment in free zone parks and heavy industry companies, with a considerable number of them dedicated to manufacturing a variety of medical devices.
Alajuela is an important transport hub for the country, connecting thecapital city of San José with northwestern Costa Rica. As a part of theGreater Metropolitan Area, most of the inhabitants of Alajuela work in other cities or regions of the Central Valley, and every day receives residents from other locations to work in local factories. Central America'ssecond busiest airport,Juan Santamaría International Airport, is three kilometers south of the district center.
The district is covered by the following road routes:
National Route 3
National Route 123
National Route 124
National Route 125
National Route 130
National Route 153TheInterurbano Line operated byIncofer goes through this district.
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense is the province's major football club, having won 30 league titles. The club has a historical rivalry withDeportivo Saprissa, both popularly viewed as the two best football clubs of Costa Rica. They play their home games at theEstadio Alejandro Morera Soto, located in this district, and a new stadium is currently being built on another location inside the Alajuela Province.
San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Spain[12]
Lahr, Germany[13]
Montegrotto Terme, Italy[14]Bordano, Italy[14]
Downey, California, USA[15]Dothan, Alabama, USA
Guadalajara, Mexico[16]
Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan[17]
Hangzhou, China
Alajuela travel guide from Wikivoyage10°01′N84°13′W / 10.017°N 84.217°W /10.017; -84.217
 Districts ofAlajuela Province | |
|---|---|
| Alajuela | |
| San Ramón | |
| Grecia | |
| San Mateo | |
| Atenas | |
| Naranjo | |
| Palmares | |
| Poás | |
| Orotina | |
| San Carlos | |
| Zarcero | |
| Sarchí | |
| Upala | |
| Los Chiles | |
| Guatuso | |
| Río Cuarto | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
