Cartago | |
|---|---|
 View of central Cartago in 2024 .JPG) Old Durán Sanatorium  Interior of the Basilica | |
.svg) Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Fide et pace (Latin) "Faith and Peace" | |
 Cartago canton | |
  Cartago Cartago canton location in Costa Rica | |
| Coordinates:9°47′20″N83°55′34″W / 9.7889852°N 83.9261136°W /9.7889852; -83.9261136 | |
| Country |  Costa Rica |
| Province | Cartago |
| Creation | 23 June 1563 (City) 7 December 1848 (Canton) |
| Head city | Oriental |
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Body | Municipalidad de Cartago |
| • Mayor | Mario Redondo Poveda (PAY) |
| Area | |
• Total | 278.66 km2 (107.59 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,575 m (5,167 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 147,898 |
• Estimate (2022) | 165,417 |
| • Density | 530.75/km2 (1,374.6/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Cartaginés (m),Cartaginesa (f) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Canton code | 301 |
| Website | www |
Cartago is acanton in theCartago province ofCosta Rica, with an estimated population of 165,417 as of 2022. It ranks as the fifth-most populous canton in the country and is the 42nd largest by area. Cartago is bordered byDesamparados andEl Guarco to the south,Goicoechea andVázquez de Coronado to the north,Oreamuno andParaíso to the east, andMontes de Oca,La Unión, and Desamparados to the west.
The administrative and historical center of the canton is theCity of Cartago, which comprises theOriental andOccidental districts, rather than being a single district.[1][2] Founded in 1563 by Spanish conquerorJuan Vásquez de Coronado, Cartago is the second-oldest surviving city in Costa Rica, afterEspíritu Santo de Esparza, which was established in 1557. It served as the colonial capital of Costa Rica from 1563 until 1823, after theOchomogo War. Following the amendments to theConstitution of 1847, the canton itself was officially established as a municipal administrative division on 7 December 1848 by law N° 36.[3]
 | You can helpexpand this section with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Spanish. (July 2024)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Cartago covers an area of 278.66 km² (107.59 sq mi)[4] and has a mean elevation of 1,575 m (5,167 ft).[1]
The canton is shaped like a T, extending southeast from its capital city to encompass a narrow strip of theCordillera de Talamanca (Talamanca Mountain Range). This geographic configuration includes portions of thePan-American Highway, making Cartago an important transit hub. The varied elevation and diverse landscapes contribute to the canton's natural diversity, which includes valleys, mountains, and fertile plains ideal for agriculture.
Under the Municipal Code of 1998, which regulateslocal government in Costa Rica, mayors and vice mayors are democratically elected every four years on a joint ticket by the canton's residents.[5]
Following the2024 municipal elections, Mario Redondo Poveda was re-elected as mayor of Cartago, securing 43.51% of the vote. He was joined by Silvia María Navarro Gómez as first vice mayor and Marco Andrés Brenes Tinoco as second vice mayor, all serving for the term from 2024 to 2028.[6]
| Period | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–2006 | Harold Humberto Góngora Fuentes[a] |  PUSC |
| 2006–2010 | Rolando Alberto Rodríguez Brenes |  PLN |
| 2010–2016 | ||
| 2016–2020 | ||
| 2020–2024 | Mario Redondo Poveda |  ADC |
| 2024–2028 |  PAY |
Like the mayor and vice mayors, all members of the Municipal Council (known asregidores) are elected every four years through aclosed list system, though on a separate ballot from the canton's executive officials. TheCartago Municipal Council consists of nine seats, held byregidores and their substitutes. Substitutes can participate in meetings but do not have voting rights unless the primary regidor (regidor propietario) is absent.[5]
The current president of the Municipal Council is Alonso Picado Chacón, a member of thePartido Actuemos Ya (Let's Act Now Party). The council's composition for the 2024–2028 term is as follows:
 | |||||
| Political parties in the Municipal Council of Cartago | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political party | Regidores | ||||
| № | Primary | Substitute | |||
| Let's Act Now Party (PAY) | 4 | Alonso Picado Chacón(P) | Roberto Carlos Solano Ortega | |
| Franci Noheli Camacho Vargas | Mónica Machado Barquero | ||||
| Andrés Damián Zúñiga Orozco | Jorge Armando Brenes Calderón | ||||
| Grettel Quesada Moya | Natalia Isabel Serrano Redondo | ||||
| National Liberation Party (PLN) | 3 | Jonathan Arce Moya | Braulio José Martínez Rojas | |
| Marcela Quesada Cerdas | Stephannie Melissa Meneses Quirós | ||||
| Caleb Andrés Pichardo Aguilar | Luis Martín Martínez Rojas | ||||
.svg) | National Democratic Agenda (ADN) | 1 | Marvin Alvarado Méndez | Manuel Enrique González Espinoza | |
 | Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) | 1 | Alberto Acevedo Gutiérrez | Armando José Canno Díaz | |
The canton of Cartago is subdivided into the followingdistricts:
| Census | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1864 | 16,780 | — |
| 1883 | 20,398 | +1.03% |
| 1892 | 25,898 | +2.69% |
| 1927 | 26,909 | +0.11% |
| 1950 | 30,763 | +0.58% |
| 1963 | 46,722 | +3.27% |
| 1973 | 65,310 | +3.41% |
| 1984 | 87,125 | +2.65% |
| 2000 | 132,057 | +2.63% |
| 2011 | 147,898 | +1.04% |
| 2022 | 165,417 | +1.02% |
| Source:Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[9] Centro Centroamericano de Población[10] | ||
Cartago had a population of 165,417 inhabitants in 2022, up from 147,898 people at the time of the2011 census.[11][12]
In 2022, Cartago had aHuman Development Index of 0.791, the 3rd highest in its province, behindEl Guarco andLa Unión, and 18th in the country.[13]
The canton is covered by the following road routes:
TheInterurbano Line operated byIncofer goes through this canton.
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