Dota is a canton in the San José province of Costa Rica. The head city of the canton is Santa María. It is part of Los Santos Zone, together with Tarrazú and León Cortés Castro.

History

Dota was created on 23 July 1925 by decree 80.

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 Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) candidate, Adrián Cordero Cordero, was elected mayor of the canton with 79.33% of the votes, with Susy Calderón Arguedas and Jorge Orlando Serrano Salazar 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. Dota'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:

Geography

Dota has an area of 404.44 km2 and a mean elevation of 1874 m. The canton is delineated by the Savegre River on the south and southeast, the Naranjo River on the west and the Cordillera de Talamanca on the north and northeast.

Districts

The canton of Dota is subdivided into the following districts:

Demographics

Dota had an estimated 9,364 inhabitants in 2022, up from 6,948 at the time of the 2011 census. In 2022, Dota had a Human Development Index of 0.660.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes: • CR RNP 2.svg National Route 2 • CR RNS 226.svg National Route 226 • CR RNT 315.svg National Route 315