Cantons of Costa Rica


is administratively divided into seven provinces which are subdivided into 82 cantons, and these are further subdivided into districts. Cantons are the only administrative division in Costa Rica that possess local government in the form of municipalities. Each municipality has its own mayor and several representatives, all of them chosen via municipal elections every four years.
The original 14 cantons were established in 1848, and the number has risen gradually by the division of existing cantons. Law no. 4366 of 19 August 1969, which outlines the creation of administrative divisions of Costa Rica, states that new cantons may only be created if they have at least one percent of the republic's total population, which was as of the last census. The last new canton, Río Cuarto, was created on March 30, 2017.
The largest canton by population is the capital San José with a population of. The smallest canton by population is Turrubares with residents. The largest canton by land area is San Carlos, which spans, while the smallest is Flores at.

Political structure

Each canton is controlled by a government unit called Municipalidad. The term reflects the fact that the cantons in Costa Rica have approximately the same function as municipios in many other Spanish-speaking countries. This administrative unit consists of two bodies: a municipal executive and an executive body which only consists of a mayor, a title that was introduced in 1998.
The mayor's main duties are to liaise with the municipal council, district councils and the entire administrative apparatus of the canton, and to approve and implement the decisions taken by the municipal council. The number of members of the municipal council varies from one canton to another, and they are elected by local elections held every four years. The head of the council is titled the municipal president. The council's main task is to manage the canton at the local level, and is responsible for planning basic policies and establishing budgets. More specifically, the responsibilities include urban and agricultural planning and organizing cultural affairs, health care, education and industry. Each municipal president appoints a number of working commissions that deal with issues specific to the municipality.

Cities in Costa Rica

According to the Executive Decree N°41548-MGP, a city in Costa Rica is a ceremonial title awarded to a district or districts which contain the administrative center regardless of factors such as population, population density, or economic indicators. This designation is also known as cabecera de cantón, head city of the canton.

Cantons

CantonCityProvincePopulation
Population
ChangeLand area Population densityIncorporation date
San JoséSan JoséSan José1848--
EscazúEscazúSan José1848--
DesamparadosDesamparadosSan José1862--
PuriscalSantiagoSan José1868--
TarrazúSan MarcosSan José1868--
AserríAserríSan José1882--
MoraCiudad ColónSan José1883--
GoicoecheaGuadalupeSan José1891--
Santa AnaSanta AnaSan José1907--
AlajuelitaAlajuelitaSan José1909--
Vásquez de CoronadoSan IsidroSan José1910--
AcostaSan IgnacioSan José1910--
TibásSan JuanSan José1914--
MoraviaSan VicenteSan José1914--
Montes de OcaSan PedroSan José1915--
TurrubaresSan PabloSan José1920--
DotaSanta MaríaSan José1925--
CurridabatCurridabatSan José1929--
Pérez ZeledónSan Isidro de El GeneralSan José1931--
León Cortés CastroSan PabloSan José1961--
AlajuelaAlajuelaAlajuela1848--
San RamónSan RamónAlajuela1856--
GreciaGreciaAlajuela1848--
San MateoSan MateoAlajuela1868--
AtenasAtenasAlajuela1868--
NaranjoNaranjoAlajuela1886--
PalmaresPalmaresAlajuela1888--
PoásSan PedroAlajuela1901--
OrotinaOrotinaAlajuela1908--
San CarlosQuesadaAlajuela1911--
ZarceroZarceroAlajuela1915--
SarchíSarchí NorteAlajuela1949--
UpalaUpalaAlajuela1970--
Los ChilesLos ChilesAlajuela1970--
GuatusoSan RafaelAlajuela1970--
Río CuartoRío CuartoAlajuela2017--
CartagoCartagoCartago1848--
ParaísoParaísoCartago1848--
La UniónTres RíosCartago1848--
JiménezJuan ViñasCartago1903--
TurrialbaTurrialbaCartago1903--
AlvaradoPacayasCartago1908--
OreamunoSan RafaelCartago1914--
El GuarcoEl TejarCartago1939--
HerediaHerediaHeredia1848--
BarvaBarvaHeredia1848--
Santo DomingoSanto DomingoHeredia1869--
Santa BárbaraSanta BárbaraHeredia1882--
San RafaelSan RafaelHeredia1885--
San IsidroSan IsidroHeredia1905--
BelénSan AntonioHeredia1907--
FloresSan JoaquínHeredia1915--
San PabloSan PabloHeredia1961--
SarapiquíPuerto ViejoHeredia1970--
LiberiaLiberiaGuanacaste1848--
NicoyaNicoyaGuanacaste1848--
Santa CruzSanta CruzGuanacaste1848--
BagacesBagacesGuanacaste1848--
CarrilloFiladelfiaGuanacaste1877--
CañasCañasGuanacaste1878--
AbangaresLas JuntasGuanacaste1915--
TilaránTilaránGuanacaste1923--
NandayureCarmonaGuanacaste1961--
La CruzLa CruzGuanacaste1969--
HojanchaHojanchaGuanacaste1971--
PuntarenasPuntarenasPuntarenas1862--
EsparzaEsparza Puntarenas1848--
Buenos AiresBuenos AiresPuntarenas1914--
Montes de OroMiramarPuntarenas1915--
OsaPuerto CortésPuntarenas1940--
QueposQueposPuntarenas1948--
GolfitoGolfitoPuntarenas1949--
Coto BrusSan VitoPuntarenas1965--
ParritaParritaPuntarenas1971--
CorredoresCiudad Neily Puntarenas1973--
GarabitoJacóPuntarenas1980--
LimónLimónLimón1909--
PococíGuápilesLimón1911--
SiquirresSiquirresLimón1911--
TalamancaBribrí Limón1969--
MatinaMatinaLimón1969--
GuácimoGuácimoLimón1971--
Costa Rica51100--