Cartago (canton)

Cartago is a canton in the Cartago province of Costa 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 by Desamparados and El Guarco to the south, Goicoechea and Vázquez de Coronado to the north, Oreamuno and Paraíso to the east, and Montes de Oca, La Unión, and Desamparados to the west.
The administrative and historical center of the canton is the City of Cartago, which comprises the Oriental and Occidental districts, rather than being a single district. Founded in 1563 by Spanish conqueror Juan Vásquez de Coronado, Cartago is the second-oldest surviving city in Costa Rica, after Espíritu Santo de Esparza, which was established in 1557. It served as the colonial capital of Costa Rica from 1563 until 1823, after the Ochomogo War. Following the amendments to the Constitution of 1847, the canton itself was officially established as a municipal administrative division on 7 December 1848 by law N° 36.

WWW muni-carta.go.cr

Geography

Cartago covers an area of 278.66 km² and has a mean elevation of 1,575 m.
The canton is shaped like a T, extending southeast from its capital city to encompass a narrow strip of the Cordillera de Talamanca. This geographic configuration includes portions of the Pan-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.

Government

Mayor

Under the Municipal Code of 1998, which regulates local government in Costa Rica, mayors and vice mayors are democratically elected every four years on a joint ticket by the canton's residents.
Following the 2024 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.

Period	Name	Party
2002–2006	Harold Humberto Góngora Fuentes	PUSC
2006–2010	Rolando Alberto Rodríguez Brenes	PLN
2010–2016	Rolando Alberto Rodríguez Brenes	PLN
2016–2020	Rolando Alberto Rodríguez Brenes	PLN
2020–2024	Mario Redondo Poveda	ADC
2024–2028	Mario Redondo Poveda	PAY

Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, all members of the Municipal Council are elected every four years through a closed list system, though on a separate ballot from the canton's executive officials. The Cartago Municipal Council consists of nine seats, held by regidores and their substitutes. Substitutes can participate in meetings but do not have voting rights unless the primary regidor is absent.
The current president of the Municipal Council is Alonso Picado Chacón, a member of the Partido Actuemos Ya. The council's composition for the 2024–2028 term is as follows:

Districts

The canton of Cartago is subdivided into the following districts:

Demographics

Cartago had a population of inhabitants in 2022, up from people at the time of the 2011 census.
In 2022, Cartago had a Human Development Index of 0.791, the 3rd highest in its province, behind El Guarco and La Unión, and 18th in the country.