Heredia is a canton in the Heredia province of Costa Rica . The head city is in Heredia district, and is also the provincial capital of Heredia Province.
57-540: Heredia was created on 7 December 1848 by decree 167. Heredia has an area of 283.11 km (109.31 sq mi) and a mean elevation of 1,242 m (4,075 ft). The canton includes the areas south and west of the capital city of Heredia as far as the Virilla River and the National Route 1 . The non-contiguous district of Varablanca , that includes a large portion of Braulio Carrillo National Park high in
114-530: A city government. It was not until the enactment of the Constitution of Cádiz in 1812 that San José had its first city government. On 18 October 1813, the area was first defined as a city by presbyter Florencio del Castillo, on behalf of the Spanish government, a title which was then lost in 1814 when Ferdinand VII of Spain annulled the proceedings of the courts. The municipal government was restored in 1820 along with
171-634: A cost of US$ 35 million and no work done. Fideicomiso Ruta Uno (Route One Escrow), FRU, was created by Banco de Costa Rica to manage the finances of the works on Route 1. In July 2019, FRU was awarded the control of the toll stations of Río Segundo and Naranjo, which provide the main income of the project. It is estimated that the toll will increase in price at Río Segundo from CRC ₡75 to CRC ₡200, and at Naranjo from CRC ₡150 to CRC ₡400. The toll booths will include automated electronic toll collection . The Obras Impostergables , or OBIS, which translates to "works that can't be delayed", were announced by
228-401: A number of theaters, many with European-inspired architecture. These buildings serve as the city's main tourist attractions, not only because of their architecture, but because of the cultural, musical, and artistic presentations and activities, which include traditional and modern Costa Rican and San Josefinan culture. The most well-known are: The National Theater of Costa Rica (considered
285-527: A proper solution was put in motion, by awarding a contract to the CODOCSA company to widen the bridge from two lanes to three in each direction, which by definition involved the reconstruction of the affected joint cover. The now named bridge was reopened in May 2017, however being a three lane bridge it was deemed as already obsolete, as there is a plan to widen Route 1 to four lanes by direction between Uruca, San José and
342-691: Is Deportivo Saprissa , which has won a record 36 league titles. The team plays its home games at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá , which is located in Tibas . Another top-level club, Universidad , plays at the Estadio Ecológico. San José hosted the 2015 FIBA COCABA Championship , where the Costa Rica national basketball team finished 2nd. Playground was the Gimnasio Nacional . San José
399-595: Is a significant destination and stopover for foreign visitors. San José exerts a strong influence because of its proximity to other cities ( Alajuela , Heredia and Cartago ) and the country's demographic assemblage in the Central Valley. The borders of San José city, as defined in the Administrative Territorial Division and stipulated in the Executive Decree 11562 of 27 May 1980, assign
456-775: Is also host to various museums. These museums allow visitors to view Costa Rican history, scientific discoveries, pre-Columbian era culture and art, as well as modern Costa Rican art. The city is also host to the nation's museum of gold and museum of jade. Some of the city's main museums are: San José is home to many parks and squares (plazas in Spanish); where one can find gazebos, open green areas, recreational areas, lakes, fountains, statues and sculptures by Costa Rican artists and many different bird, tree and plant species. The city's primary parks include: Plazas , or town squares , are very prominent across San José's districts. San José has several internal transportation networks that connect
513-470: Is an originally two lane per direction bridge over Virilla river , which became infamous for a detrimental infrastructure gaffe. In 2008 a metal plate expansion joint cover, (known as a platina in Spanish) between two segments of the bridge detached on the San José to Alajuela direction lane of the bridge. As it took nine years to repair the issue, the bridge, which was unnamed before, was known with dismay as
570-706: Is generally not spicy. Throughout San José, the most popular food is the national dish of gallo pinto ("painted chicken"), which is black beans served with white rice. Gallo pinto is usually served for breakfast with tortillas and natilla , a thin sour cream. Costa Rican restaurants serving traditional food at an affordable price are called sodas and usually offer substantial casados for lunch and dinner. A casado (meaning "married" or "married man" in Spanish) consists of rice, beans, and meat, with cabbage-and-tomato salad, fried plantains, and tortillas. San José Central Market , in downtown San José, has numerous food markets and sodas. The city's major football club
627-648: Is in charge of all of Costa Rica's railways. In 2004, this institution began work on the establishment of an inter-urban railway network. This network would connect Tibás, Heredia, San Antonio de Belén, Pavas, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Sabanilla, and Curridabat, among other locations. There are plans to expand this inter-urban railway system into Cartago, Alajuela, and the Juan Santamaría International Airport. Trains run to Heredia from Estación Atlantico and San Antonio de Belen and from Estación Pacifico . San José public taxi services complement
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#1732869687271684-692: Is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica , and the capital of San José Province . It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley , within San José Canton . San José is Costa Rica's seat of national government, focal point of political and economic activity, and major transportation hub. San José is simultaneously one of Costa Rica's cantons , with its municipal land area covering 44.62 square kilometers (17.23 square miles) and having within it an estimated population of 352,381 people in 2022. Together with several other cantons of
741-843: Is the northern segment of the Pan-American Highway (locally in Central America known as the Inter-American Highway ) that traverses Costa Rica. The road begins in the casco central (downtown, city center) districts of San José canton, just where Route 2 ends, at the east side of the La Sabana Metropolitan Park . Two segments of the route have the official names of Autopista General Cañas (General Officer Cañas Highway), between San José and Alajuela, and Autopista Bernardo Soto (Bernardo Soto Highway), between Alajuela and San Ramón. In San José province
798-404: Is the segment between San José and San Ramón, from the junction with Route 39 until Juan Santamaría International Airport, the road will be widen to four lanes per direction, then from the airport to San Ramón (canton) which as of 2019 is a one lane per direction design, with several short upward segments with two lanes, will be widen to two lanes per direction. A private foreign contractor, OAS,
855-466: Is undergoing a modernization plan, which is expected to be brief. The previous remodeling done to the airport cost around $ 7 million. Another important airport in San José is Tobías Bolaños International Airport ( IATA : SYQ , ICAO : MRPV ). It is located 8 km (5 mi) north-west of the city proper and 11 km (7 mi) south-east of Juan Santamaría International Airport. Costa Rican cuisine, called comida típica ("traditional food"),
912-648: The puente de la platina , translated as "the metal plate bridge". The first immediate repair attempt involved just using solder, which quickly detached again. In 2010 the Soares da Costa company was contracted to repair the issue, which also failed as the pour-over concrete applied, was pulverized by the vehicles. The Engineers and Architects Professional Association (CFIA) and the National Laboratory of Materials and Structural Models (LANAMME) advised against this solution since its proposal. It wasn't until 2016 that
969-621: The Cordillera Central , is also administered as part of Heredia Canton. 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, Ángela Ileana Aguilar Vargas, was elected mayor of the canton with 31.58% of the votes, with Víctor Andrés Sánchez González and Kenneth Armando Arguedas Navarro as first and second vice mayors, respectively. Like
1026-572: The 2024–2028 period is as follows: The canton of Heredia is subdivided into the following districts : In 2022, the National Institute of Statistics and Census estimated Heredia's population at 131,901, up from 123,616 at the time of the 2011 census . According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme , Heredia had a Human Development Index of 0.816 in 2022, ranking it 4th in its province and 9th in
1083-534: The Juan Santamaría Airport, therefore this bridge will become a bottleneck. On June 26, 2012, a culvert on the La Guaria creek, near Heredia, was destroyed due to heavy rains, also it was found out that instead of proper filling on the foundations of the road when constructed in the 1960s, there were tree trunks and other organic materials that over time compacted. By 2008, a concerned neighbor presented to
1140-591: The Peñas Blancas frontier with Nicaragua. It provides access to the main airport of the country, the Juan Santamaría International Airport . There are toll booths in Río Segundo, Alajuela and El Rosario, Naranjo. Inaugurated on 8 December 1972 in the government of José Figueres Ferrer in his second term (1970-1974), this segment shortened the duration of the trip from two hours to one, and
1197-484: The authorities a proper study where it was highlighted that the situation was a certain outcome due to the urbanization of the neighboring rural areas. No actions were taken by the government authorities. A new rectangular culvert was built by the contracted company MECO, during construction a couple of Bailey bridges with a capacity of 40 tons were put in place, which also were destroyed by an 84-ton truck crane on November 6, 2012. A heavy transited component of Route 1
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#17328696872711254-425: The borders of San José canton except an East sector of Uruca district. Therefore the city is composed of the totality of the districts of Carmen , Merced , Hospital , Catedral , Zapote , San Francisco de Dos Ríos , Mata Redonda , Pavas , Hatillo , San Sebastián and partially of Uruca district. For the 2022 population estimate, San José had a population of 352,381 inhabitants, more than any other canton in
1311-482: The canton had 0.92 men per woman, a small change from 0.90 men per woman in 2011. In 2000, the province had 100% of urban population. 17.33% of its inhabitants are under ten, and 7.67% are over 65. 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 Together San José candidate, Luis Diego Miranda Méndez,
1368-639: The capital of Costa Rica three times. More than a million people pass through it daily. It is home to the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica , the National Theatre of Costa Rica , and La Sabana Metropolitan Park . Juan Santamaría International Airport serves the city. San José is notable among Latin American cities for its high quality of life, security, level of globalization, environmental performance, public service, and recognized institutions. In 2012, San José
1425-488: The central core of the city going from west to east. On 27 September 2012, San José disclosed plans to install its first street signs, about 22,000 signs and plaques. It is estimated that the lack of proper street names for directions causes the loss of $ 720 million a year by the Inter-American Development Bank in 2008, due to undelivered, returned or re-sent mail. The following national road routes cover
1482-446: The central government in June 2018, and are seventeen auxiliary projects that were created around this road segment of Route 1, that can begin construction while the remaining analysis, design and expropriation phases advance on the main road project. These include new roads to link Route 1 with other areas, new junctions as well as new lanes on bridges that are a bottleneck to the road. Work
1539-439: The central valley, including Alajuela , Heredia and Cartago , it forms the country's Greater Metropolitan Area , with an estimated population of over 2 million in 2017. The city is named in honor of Joseph of Nazareth . Founded in 1736 by order of Cabildo de León , the population of San José rose during the 18th century through the use of colonial planning. It has historically been a city of strategic importance, having been
1596-401: The city districts and metropolitan area; as well as national transportation networks that connect the city to other parts of Costa Rica. San José is undergoing modernization in transportation. In February of 2011, the former mayor, Johnny Araya , along with then Costa Rican President, Laura Chinchilla , announced the establishment of an urban tramway system that will, in its first phase, cover
1653-628: The city's districts and are under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Education. Nevertheless, private institutions do exist within the city. These educational institutions range from pre-schools to universities. Most tend to be bilingual, teaching subjects in either French or English and Spanish, among other languages, apart from just teaching a certain language. San José is one of Latin America's safest cities. As of 19 June 2012, both city and nation reduced their crime indices considerably. Nationwide, crime
1710-432: The city: Private bus companies connect different areas of the city with each other and the suburbs. Services to other parts of the country are provided by other private companies which have stations or stops spread all over the city center. There are also bus services between Juan Santamaría International Airport and downtown San José. The Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles , or the state-owned railway institute,
1767-424: The country and up from 288,054 people, according the 2011 census . The canton has a population density of 7,897.4/km Most of the population is distributed in the peripheral districts around the downtown (the districts of El Carmen , Merced , Hospital , and Catedral are known as casco central similar to a downtown or financial center, only 18% of the canton population inhabits these districts). In 2022,
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1824-669: The country. The city is serviced by Juan Santamaría International Airport ( IATA : SJO , ICAO : MROC ), 23 km (14 mi) west of downtown, in the city of Alajuela , which is one of the busiest airports in Central America. In 2011, the airport was named the 3rd Best Airport in Latin America/Caribbean from the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International. In 2023, Juan Santamaría International Airport received 5.6 million passengers, most of them from international flights. The airport
1881-486: The distance between San José and San Ramón by 16 kilometers, during its construction it was known as the Coco-San Ramón section, Coco corresponds to the town where the Juan Santamaría International Airport is currently located, which also had the name of El Coco International Airport in the past. The project was conceived in the government of Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich (1966-1970). The Alfredo González Bridge
1938-418: The driest month (6.3 mm (0.25 in)) and the wettest month (355.1 mm (13.98 in)), while average temperatures vary little. The hottest month is April with an average temperature of 23.7 °C (74.7 °F), while the coolest month is October with an average temperature of 21.8 °C (71.2 °F). Costa Rica has developed high education levels. As of 2011 97.6% of the population over 10
1995-986: The entire country. The canton is covered by the following road routes: The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton. This Costa Rican location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . National Route 1 (Costa Rica) [REDACTED] Route 3 (Juan Pablo II bridge) [REDACTED] Route 106 (Castella Conservatory) [REDACTED] Route 111 (Real Cariari shopping center) [REDACTED] Route 129 (Bridgestone factory) [REDACTED] Route 3 (Río Segundo) [REDACTED] Route 153 (Alajuela) [REDACTED] Route 27 (El Coyol arterial road ) [REDACTED] Route 3 (La Garita) [REDACTED] Route 154 (Grecia) [REDACTED] Route 135 (Palmares) [REDACTED] Route 156 (San Ramón) [REDACTED] Route 4 (San Carlos, under construction, 2005-2025) National Primary Route 1 , formally known as Carretera Interamericana Norte (North Interamerican Road),
2052-480: The finest historic building in the capital and known for its exquisite interior which includes its lavish Italian furnishings ) and the Melico Salazar Theater present drama, dance performances and concerts throughout the year. Nevertheless, other 'smaller' theaters can be found throughout the city and provide a large array of entertainment. El Teatro Variedades (1892) is San José's oldest theater. San José
2109-648: The mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores ) are elected every four years. Heredia's Municipal Council has 9 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor ( regidor propietario ) is absent. The current president of the Municipal Council is the Sentir Heredia regidor, José Pablo Quesada Castro, with National Liberation Party member, Heidy Hernández Benavides, as vice president. The Municipal Council's composition for
2166-512: The modern University of Costa Rica (UCR) , during the reformist administration of President Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia. The University for Peace , an intergovernmental organization with university status, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1980, is located in San José. The city's public education system is composed of pre-schools, elementary and high schools (from grades 7 to 11), which are located in all of
2223-547: The name of its founder, the French coffee entrepreneur Monsieur Amon , and was created in the late 19th century, in line with Belle Époque contemporary architecture. Barrio Amon, as well as the National Theatre, remain symbols of the so-called Costa Rican coffee golden age. Today San José is a modern city with bustling commerce and brisk expressions of art and architecture. Spurred by the country's improved tourism industry, it
2280-466: The owning regidor ( regidor propietario ) is absent. The current president of the Municipal Council is Together San José Party member, Mariana de los Ángeles Zúñiga Pérez, with the regidor for More San José Party, Juan Diego Gómez González, as vice president. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024-2028 period is as follows: San José has a tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen climate classification Aw ). Precipitation varies widely between
2337-460: The route covers Heredia canton ( Ulloa district), Belén canton ( La Ribera , La Asunción districts). In Guanacaste province the route covers Liberia canton ( Liberia , Cañas Dulces , Mayorga , Nacascolo , Curubandé districts), Bagaces canton ( Bagaces district), Cañas canton ( Cañas , San Miguel districts), Abangares canton ( Las Juntas district), La Cruz canton ( La Cruz , Santa Elena districts). In Puntarenas province
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2394-539: The route covers Puntarenas canton ( Pitahaya , Chomes , Barranca , Acapulco districts), Esparza canton ( Espíritu Santo , Macacona districts), Montes de Oro canton ( Miramar , San Isidro districts). Lane availability per direction is very irregular, with plans to widen to up to four lanes between San José and Alajuela, two lanes between Alajuela and San Ramón, then one lane until Barranca (there are no plans to widen to two lanes), where two lanes until Liberia are in construction. The road will retain one lane until
2451-498: The route covers San José canton ( Merced , Hospital , Uruca , Mata Redonda districts). In Alajuela province the route covers Alajuela canton ( San José , San Antonio , Guácima , Río Segundo , Garita districts), San Ramón canton ( Santiago , San Rafael , San Isidro districts), Grecia canton ( Tacares , Puente de Piedra districts), Naranjo canton ( San Miguel , El Rosario districts), Palmares canton ( Buenos Aires , La Granja districts). In Heredia province
2508-457: The segment. Continuing from Limonal north to Cañas, this 21 km segment started construction in September 2018, however expropriation processes delayed much of the work, which was planned to finish in 2020, pushing the delivery date to 2021. Will include seven bridges, eight pedestrian bridges and eighteen wildlife crossings. From Limonal south to Barranca, this 50 kilometer final segment of
2565-587: The title of city and in 1823 San José became the capital of Costa Rica. This makes San José one of the youngest capital cities in Latin America by year of conception. Population and economic growth were spurred by improvements in access to water and the installment of the Tobacco Factory in 1782. The accumulation of capital brought by tobacco plantations allowed the city to economically surpass neighboring provinces. The first modern urban neighborhood carries
2622-482: The urban transportation network. Taxis are characterized by their red color and belong to registered cooperatives. There are other taxi services which do not belong to the registered system, there are also taxis from the airport that are usually orange. The car-sharing company Uber is active in Costa Rica and, despite repeated clashes with and strikes by taxi drivers protesting unfair competition, continues to operate in
2679-508: The widening project will connect with Route 1 and through Route 23 to Route 27. Works are planned to start in the first half of 2020. On 11 March 2020, the project was awarded to Consorcio Ruta 1 (Hernán Solís SRL e Ingeniería Estrella S.A.) , and while the other segments were constructed with concrete, this section will be made with asphalt. Works were authorized to start on 28 August 2020. San Jos%C3%A9 (canton) San José ( Spanish: [saŋ xoˈse] ; meaning "Saint Joseph")
2736-551: Was awarded the project, which under the private concession model would enhance and operate the road, as in Route 27, however due to the projected expensive toll fares, the affected residential and industrial neighbors of the route, formed the Foro de Occidente (West Forum), to oppose the construction, which ultimately halted the project in April 2013, and the government had to revoke the contract with
2793-525: Was deemed unnecessary. Meetings started in 2012 and works concluded in January 2016, for this 50 km segment of Route 1, it also adds adding a 12 km bicycle lane and proper sidewalks. Eleven pedestrian bridges, nine underground and seven tree canopy wildlife crossings were also constructed. Three two level junctions were constructed in Cañas, Bagaces and Liberia. There is a possibility to add toll booths to
2850-469: Was divided in four main batches, numbered one through four, then further divided into 1, 2a, 2b, 3 and 4. In September 2019, Fideicomiso Ruta Uno received bids for batch 1, their designs were ready by late April 2020, with a projected start date on mid May 2020. In August 2020 while doing excavation works for the Castella Conservatory interchange , a stone paved road from the pre-Hispanic era
2907-428: Was elected mayor of the canton with 23.95% of the votes, with Yariela Franciny Quirós Álvarez and Fernando Antonio Vega Guillén as first and second vice mayors, respectively. Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores ) are elected every four years. San José's Municipal Council has 11 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless
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#17328696872712964-516: Was established here in 1843. That institution maintained close ties with the Roman Catholic Church and was closed in 1888 by the progressive and anti-clerical government of President Bernardo Soto Alfaro as part of a campaign to modernize public education. The schools of law, agronomy, fine arts, and pharmacy continued to operate independently, but Costa Rica had no university proper until 1940, when those four schools were re-united to establish
3021-481: Was found, works were rearranged to prioritize surrounding areas that would not impact the archaeological studies by the National Museum . This project was split into three subprojects, to widen the road from one lane per direction to two lanes per direction, four lanes in total. Initially the plan from 2008 was to widen the segment from Peñas Blancas to Barranca, but by 2015 the segment from Liberia to Peñas Blancas
3078-483: Was literate, 96% of children aged 6–11 attend primary school and 71% of students of high-school age attend high-school. The country as a whole has the highest education levels in Central America and one of the best in Latin America. This is especially true for San José, the nation's educational hub home to a large number of public and private universities. University of Santo Tomas, the first university of Costa Rica,
3135-509: Was one of the safest and least violent cities in the region. It is considered a "Beta-" global city by GaWC . San José joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016. The population of San José grew during the eighteenth-century colonization planning, which was different from the traditional foundation plans of Spanish cities in the continent of Central America. Founded in 1736 by order of Cabildo de León , its objective
3192-569: Was reduced from 12.5 to 9.5 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2012, new police equipment was issued by the government, and the security budget was increased. President Laura Chinchilla 's government donated vehicles and other equipment to the police department on at least two occasions. The city's greater metropolitan area (in Los Yoses, San Pedro) also serves as the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights . San José has
3249-493: Was to concentrate the scattered inhabitants of the Aserrí Valley. De León thus ordered the construction of a chapel near the area known as La Boca del Monte which was completed a year later. That year St. Joseph was chosen as parish patron, hence its name. The chapel, which was very modest, was erected with help from the church of Cartago. Unlike neighboring Cartago, San José was not founded by formal decree and thus lacked
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