Alajuela is a canton in the

Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it i ...

province of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. Its head city is the provincial capital city of

History

Alajuela was created on 7 December 1848 by decree 167.

Geography

Alajuela has an area of km² and a mean elevation of metres. Northward from the city of Alajuela, the canton continues along the border with the province of Heredia to its east, encompassing a strip of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) between Poas Volcano and

Barva Volcano Barva Volcano is an andesitic stratovolcano complex in central Costa Rica, 22 km north of San José, in Heredia Province. On the eastern side of the mountain it has a lake in what was the volcanic crater, called "Laguna de Barva", and in th ...

. On the Caribbean side of the mountains, the canton takes in a portion of the Sarapiquí area. The Río Poás (Poas River) forms the major portion of the canton's western border, finally giving way to the Río Poasito as the territory ascends into the Cordillera Central. Southwest of the city of Alajuela, the canton of Alajuela ends at the confluence of the Río Grande (Great River) and the Río Virilla (Virilla River).

Landmarks

In the center of Alajuela, next to Parque de Alajuela, also known as "Parque de los Mangos", is

Alajuela Cathedral The Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral ( es, Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Pilar ) also called Alajuela Cathedral or Cathedral of Virgin of the Pillar, is a religious building affiliated with the Catholic Church, which is located in the city of Al ...

, whose main feature is its red dome. This park is a popular place for locals to socialize, especially in the afternoons. One block west of the park is the Mercado Central de Alajuela, a bustling shopping centre.

Poás Volcano National Park Poás Volcano National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Volcán Poás) is a national park in Costa Rica that covers an area of approximately ; the summit is . It was established on 25 January 1971. Depending on conditions, visitors can walk all the way ...

is about north of Alajuela city and is known for its five waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. To the north of the Central Park is the

Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría Museo may refer to: * Museo, 2018 Mexican drama heist film *Museo (Naples Metro) Museo is a station on line 1 of the Naples Metro. It was opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. ...

. This museum, situated in a building built in 1894-45, which was formerly a prison in the barracks of Alajuela, contains many historical maps, artifacts and portraits of the 1856-1857 campaign. In 1977 it became the headquarters of the Centro de Investigación para el Perfeccionamiento Técnico (CIPET), an institution of the Ministry of Public Education.

Districts

The canton of Alajuela is subdivided into the following

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

: #

# San José # Carrizal #

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Guácima Guácima is a district of the Alajuela canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Geography Guácima has an area of km² and an elevation of metres. Demographics For the 2011 census, Guácima had a population of inhabitants. Tr ...

# San Isidro # Sabanilla # San Rafael # Río Segundo #

Desamparados Desamparados is a district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, ...

Turrúcares Turrúcares is a Districts of Costa Rica, district of the Alajuela (canton), Alajuela canton, in the Alajuela Province, Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Geography Turrúcares has an area of km² and an elevation of metres. Demographics Fo ...

# Tambor # Garita # Sarapiquí

Demographics

For the 2011 census, Alajuela had a population of inhabitants.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:

Rail transportation

The Interurbano Line operated by

Incofer upright=1.20 , Universidad de Costa Rica station, San Pedro, Montes de Oca. Rail transport in Costa Rica is primarily under the stewardship of Incofer (Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles), an autonomous institution of the state. Incofe ...

goes through this canton.

Economy

It is a major area for the production of coffee, strawberries and ornamental plants. The Doka Estate lies within the canton, in Sabanilla District, and is a major coffee producing estate, supplying directly to

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

References

{{CostaRica-geo-stub Cantons of Alajuela Province Populated places in Alajuela Province