Goicoechea is a canton in the San José province of Costa Rica.

History

Goicoechea was created on 6 August 1891 by decree 66.

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, Fernando Miguel Chavarría Quirós, was elected mayor of the canton with 25.34% of the votes, with Reina Irene Campos Jiménez and Valeria Fernández Castillo 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. Goicoechea'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 Broad Front member Gloriana Diorela Carmona Seravalli, with Social Christian Unity Party member Carlos Luis Murillo Rodríguez as vice president. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024-2028 period is as follows:

Geography

Goicoechea has an area of 31.7 km2 and a mean elevation of 1364 m. The elongated canton curves its way through the suburban areas just north of San José, climbing steadily into the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) until it reaches it eastern limit between the Durazno River (on its northern boundary) and the Tiribí River (on the south).

Districts

The canton of Goicoechea is subdivided into the following districts:

Demographics

Goicoechea was estimated to have a population of 132,104 in 2022, up from 115,084 at the time of the 2011 census. According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme, Goicoechea has a Human Development Index score of 0.758, ranking it 10th in its province.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes: • CR RNP 32.svg National Route 32 • CR RNP 39.svg National Route 39 • CR RNS 100.svg National Route 100 • CR RNS 108.svg National Route 108 • CR RNS 109.svg National Route 109 • CR RNS 200.svg National Route 200 • CR RNS 201.svg National Route 201 • CR RNS 205.svg National Route 205 • CR RNS 216.svg National Route 216 • CR RNS 218.svg National Route 218

Rail transportation

The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton.