Acosta (canton)


Acosta is the twelfth canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The head city of the canton is San Ignacio.

History

Acosta was created on 27 October 1910 by decree 24.

Geography

Acosta has an area of and a mean elevation of.
The mountainous canton begins in the Cerros de Escazú on the far western edge of the San José Metropolitan Area. It continues west and south between the Negro River on the north and the Jorco River on the east to encompass a large portion of the Coastal Mountain Range, ending at the border of Puntarenas Province near the Pacific coast in Parrita Canton.

Government

Mayor

According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton. As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the National Liberation Party candidate, Nelson Martín Umaña Quirós, was elected mayor of the canton with 41.92% of the votes, with Tania Granados Borbón and Marianela Arias Elizondo as first and second vice mayors, respectively.
PeriodNameParty
2002–2006Rónald Ricardo Durán Gamboa PLN
2006–2010Rónald Ricardo Durán Gamboa PLN
2010–2016Luis Alberto Durán Gamboa PLN
2016–2020Norman Eduardo Hidalgo Gamboa PAC
2020–2024Norman Eduardo Hidalgo Gamboa PAC
2024–2028Nelson Martín Umaña Quirós PLN

Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council are elected every four years. Acosta's Municipal Council has 5 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor is absent. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Districts

The canton of Acosta is subdivided into the following districts:
  1. San Ignacio
  2. Guaitil
  3. Palmichal
  4. Cangrejal
  5. Sabanillas

Demographics

Acosta had an estimated population of people in 2022, up from at the time of the 2011 census.
Acosta had a Human Development Index of 0.731 in 2022.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes: