San Javier is a city in the northeast of the, 156 km north-northeast from the provincial capital. It had about 13,000 inhabitants at the and it is the head town of the San Javier Department. The town was founded in 1743 by Francisco de Echagüe y Andía, but only recognized as such by the provincial government in 1866. It attained the status of comuna (commune) on 1884-05-25, and became a city on 1979-12-02.