San Carlos is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. The capital city of the canton is Ciudad Quesada.

History

San Carlos was created on 26 September 1911 by decree 17.

Geography

San Carlos has an area of 3352.33 km2 and a mean elevation of 340 m. The canton encompasses a major portion of the San Carlos Plain, a wide expanse on the Caribbean side of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range). San Carlos reaches north to the border of Nicaragua, east to the province of Heredia, west to the province of Guanacaste, and south into the heights of the Cordillera. San Carlos is noted as the home of Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The canton's principal economic activities include the production of oranges, yuca, pineapple, sugar cane, beef and dairy products. More than 50% of the national dairy production in Costa Rica comes from San Carlos.

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, Juan Diego González Picado, was elected mayor of the canton with 33.09% of the votes, with Pilar Porras Zúñiga and Diana Murillo Murillo 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. San Carlos' 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 Social Christian Unity Party member, Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Districts

The canton of San Carlos is subdivided into the following districts:

Demographics

San Carlos had an estimated 198,742 inhabitants in 2022, second highest in its province and fourth highest in the country, behind San José, Alajuela, and Desamparados. This is an increase from 163,745 people for the 2011 census. According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme, San Carlos had a Human Development Index of 0.765 in 2022, putting it 6th highest in its province and 28th overall.

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes: • CR RNP 4.svg National Route 4 • CR RNP 35.svg National Route 35 • CR RNS 140.svg National Route 140 • CR RNS 141.svg National Route 141 • CR RNS 142.svg National Route 142 • CR RNS 227.svg National Route 227 • CR RNS 250.svg National Route 250 • CR RNT 702.svg National Route 702 • CR RNT 734.svg National Route 734 • CR RNT 738.svg National Route 738 • CR RNT 739.svg National Route 739 • CR RNT 744.svg National Route 744 • CR RNT 745.svg National Route 745 • CR RNT 746.svg National Route 746 • CR RNT 747.svg National Route 747 • CR RNT 748.svg National Route 748 • CR RNT 749.svg National Route 749 • CR RNT 750.svg National Route 750 • CR RNT 751.svg National Route 751 • CR RNT 752.svg National Route 752 • CR RNT 753.svg National Route 753 • CR RNT 761.svg National Route 761 • CR RNT 936.svg National Route 936

Education

There is a branch of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology in Santa Clara, San Carlos.

Sports

In federated soccer, San Carlos is represented by Asociación Deportiva San Carlos. This association also gives its name to numerous minor league teams that have notably excelled at the national level.