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 342.56 km2 and a mean elevation of 1009 m. 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.

Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) 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 (regidor propietario) 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:

Demographics

Acosta had an estimated population of 22,542 people in 2022, up from 20,209 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:

Notas