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TheUruguayan departments are subdivided intomunicipalities and, as of 2025, there are 136 municipalities. Thissecond level administrative division system was created by Law No. 18567 of 13 September 2009 and the first municipalities were created (or converted from Local Boards in the previous system) in March 2010. In themunicipal elections of 2010 municipal authorities were elected for the first time and they assumed office months later.

Each municipality is governed by a local council, made up of 5 members. The chairperson of the local council is known asalcalde (mayor) and the remaining members are thecouncilors.

The Montevideo, Canelones and Maldonado departments are completely covered by municipalities, while the other departments have areas not included in any municipality.

The municipalities' system was created by Law No. 18567 of 13 September 2009.^[1] The current system is ruled by Law No. 19272 of 18 September 2014. This regulation provided that in settlements with more than 2,000 inhabitants a municipality was to be created including their surrounding territories, as long as it consisted in a social and cultural unit with their own common interests, that justified the creation of this kind of political entity. Settlements with less than 2,000 inhabitants were allowed to establish a municipality if the Departmental Board voted for it after the Intendant proposal, or by popular initiative of at least the 15% of voters in the settlement. Municipalities in departmental seats were only allowed to be created by Departmental Boards after the Intendant's proposal.^[2]

The municipalities are governed by a local council made up by five members, whose chairperson is known asalcalde (mayor) and the other four members are known asconcejales (councilors). They are elected bydirect vote each municipal elections, at the same time the departmental authorities are elected.^[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMunicipalities in Uruguay.

• Ley Nº 18.644 del 12 de febrero de 2010
• Ley Nº 18.653 del 15 de marzo de 2010
• Listado y ubicación de los Municipios en Uruguay - Oficina de Planeamiento y Presupuesto
• Alcaldes y alcaldesas asumen en los 125 Municipios de Uruguay - Elecciones 2020
• Mapa de los municipios de Montevideo
• El Observador: Recorrido por las alcaldías del Departamento de Montevideo
• Corte Electoral- Resultados de las elecciones generales-locales 2010

• Municipalities of Uruguay
• Subdivisions of Uruguay
• Lists of administrative divisions
• Second-level administrative divisions by country
• Uruguay geography-related lists
• Lists of municipalities

• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
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• Short description matches Wikidata
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• Commons category link is on Wikidata