{{Short description|Canton in San José province, Costa Rica}} {{Expand Spanish|Cantón de Montes de Oca|date=October 2024|topic=geo}} {{Infobox settlement |name = Montes de Oca |native_name_lang = es | motto = {{lang|es|Cuna de la Educación Superior}}<br/>(Cradle of Higher Education) | named_for = Don Faustino Montes de Oca |settlement_type = [[Cantons of Costa Rica|Canton]] |pushpin_map = Costa Rica San José#Costa Rica |pushpin_map_alt = Montes de Oca canton location in San José Province##Montes de Oca canton location in Costa Rica |pushpin_map_caption = Montes de Oca canton location in San José Province##Montes de Oca canton location in Costa Rica |coordinates = {{coord|9.940046|-84.0110652|type:adm2nd_region:CR|display=inline,title}} |image_flag = Bandera de Montes de Oca.svg |image_seal = Escudo del cantón de Montes de Oca.svg |image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|type=shape|title=Montes de Oca canton}} |map_alt = Montes de Oca canton |map_caption = Montes de Oca canton |image_skyline = FuentedelaHispanidad.JPG |image_alt = Fuente de la Hispanidad, roundabout under Route 39 and on Route 2 |image_caption = Fuente de la Hispanidad, roundabout under Route 39 and on Route 2 |established_title = Creation |established_date = 1 August 1915 |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{CRI}} |subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Costa Rica|Province]] |subdivision_name1 = [[San José Province|San José]] |seat_type = Head city |seat = [[San Pedro District, Montes de Oca|San Pedro]] |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Domingo Arguello García ([[Social Christian Unity Party|PUSC]]) |government_type = [[Local government in Costa Rica|Municipality]] |governing_body = {{lang|es|Municipalidad de Montes de Oca}} |parts_type = [[Districts of Costa Rica|Districts]] |parts_style = list |parts = Districts |p1 = [[San Pedro District, Montes de Oca|San Pedro]] |p2 = [[Sabanilla District, Montes de Oca|Sabanilla]] |p3 = [[Mercedes District, Montes de Oca|Mercedes]] |p4 = [[San Rafael District, Montes de Oca|San Rafael]] |area_total_km2 = 15.78 |elevation_m = 1262 |population_total = 49132 |population_as_of = 2011 |population_est = 53862 |pop_est_as_of = 2022 |population_density_km2 = auto |timezone1 = [[UTC−06:00]] |blank_name = Canton code |blank_info = 115 |website = {{URL|https://montesdeoca.go.cr/}} }} '''Montes de Oca''' is a [[Cantons of Costa Rica|canton]] in the [[San José Province|San José]] province of [[Costa Rica]].<ref name="divadm">{{cite web |lang=es |title=Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP |url=http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607&param2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |website=Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |access-date=26 September 2020 |date=19 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="dta2017">{{cite book |lang=es |title=División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica|date=8 March 2017|publisher=Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional|isbn=978-9977-58-477-5|url=https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf}}</ref> The head city of the canton is [[San Pedro District, Montes de Oca|San Pedro]].

==Toponymy== Its name honors a former congressional representative from the area, Don Faustino Montes de Oca (1859–1902).

== History == Montes de Oca was created on 1 August 1915 by decree 45.<ref name="dta2017"/>

== Government == === Mayor === According to Costa Rica's [[Local government in Costa Rica|Municipal Code]], mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton.<ref name="codmuni">{{Cite web |author=Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica |author-link=Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica |date=13 May 2024 |title=Código Municipal |trans-title=Municipal Code |url=http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?nValor1=1&nValor2=40197 |website=Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |language=es}}</ref> As of the latest [[2024 Costa Rican municipal elections|municipal elections in 2024]], the [[Social Christian Unity Party]] (PUSC) candidate, Domingo Arguello García, was elected mayor of the canton with 25.56% of the votes, with Haydee Castillo Castro{{efn|Also legally named Heidi Castillo Castro.}} and Andrés Vesalio Guzmán Gómez as first and second vice mayors, respectively.<ref name="2024alcdec2">{{Cite web |author=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones |author-link=Supreme Electoral Court of Costa Rica |date=8 March 2024 |title=N.° 1658-E11-2024 - Declaratoria de elección de alcaldías y vicealcaldías de las municipalidades de los cantones de la provincia de San José, para el período comprendido entre el primero de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro y el treinta de abril de dos mil veintiocho. |url=https://www.tse.go.cr/juris/relevantes/1658-E11-2024.html |language=es}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto" |+ Mayors of Montes de Oca since the [[2002 Costa Rican municipal elections|2002 elections]]<ref name="decs">{{Cite web |author=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones |author-link=Supreme Electoral Court of Costa Rica |title=Resoluciones declaratorias de elección |url=https://www.tse.go.cr/declaratorias.htm |website=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones |language=es}}</ref> !Period !Name !Party |- |[[2002 Costa Rican municipal elections|2002–2006]] |Sonia María Montero Díaz |[[File:Bandera Partido Acción Ciudadana Costa Rica.svg|border|frameless|upright=.1]] [[Citizens' Action Party (Costa Rica)|PAC]] |- |[[2006 Costa Rican municipal elections|2006–2010]] | rowspan="2" |Fernando Trejos Ballestero |[[File:Bandera de Unión Para el Cambio.svg|border|frameless|upright=.1]] [[Union for Change Party|UPC]] |- |[[2010 Costa Rican municipal elections|2010–2016]] |[[File:Bandera de Renovación Costarricense con Ichthys Ilegal.svg|border|frameless|upright=.1]] [[Costa Rican Renewal Party|PRC]] |- |[[2016 Costa Rican municipal elections|2016–2020]] | rowspan="2" |Marcel Soler Rubio | rowspan="2" |[[File:Bandera Coalición Gente Montes de Oca Costa Rica.svg|border|frameless|upright=.1]] CGMO |- |[[2020 Costa Rican municipal elections|2020–2024]] |- |[[2024 Costa Rican municipal elections|2024–2028]] |Domingo Arguello García |[[File:Bandera del Partido Unidad Social Cristiana.svg|border|frameless|upright=.1]] [[Social Christian Unity Party|PUSC]] |}

=== Municipal Council === Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called {{lang|es|regidores}}) are elected every four years. Montes de Oca's Municipal Council has 7 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor ({{Lang|es|regidor propietario}}) is absent.<ref name="codmuni"/> The current president of the Municipal Council is [[National Liberation Party (Costa Rica)|National Liberation Party]] regidor Enrique Sibaja Granados, with [[Social Christian Unity Party]] regidora Jeiny Lizano Vargas as vice-president.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Municipalidad de Moravia |date=14 October 2024 |title=Miembros del Concejo |url=https://montesdeoca.go.cr/la_municipalidad/gobierno_local/consejo_municipal/miembros_del_concejo.aspx |access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="margin:auto;" |+ Composition of the Municipal Council of Montes de Oca after the [[2024 Costa Rican municipal elections|2024 municipal elections]]<ref name="2024regdec2">{{Cite web |author=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones |author-link=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica |date=12 February 2024 |title=N.° 2218-E11-2024 - Declaratoria de elección de regidurías de las municipalidades de los cantones de la provincia de San José, para el período comprendido entre el primero de mayo de dos mil veinticuatro y el treinta de abril de dos mil veintiocho. |url=https://www.tse.go.cr/juris/relevantes/2218-E11-2024.html |language=es}}</ref> |- | colspan="6" |[[File:Costa Rica Montes de Oca Concejo Municipal 2024.svg|frameless|center]] |- ! colspan="6" |'''Political parties in the Municipal Council of Montes de Oca''' |----- ! colspan="3" rowspan="2" |Political party ! colspan="3" |Regidores |- !№ !Owner !Substitute |- | rowspan="2" |[[File:Bandera del Partido Unidad Social Cristiana.svg|border|frameless|upright=.2]] | rowspan="2" |[[Social Christian Unity Party]] (PUSC) | rowspan="2" bgcolor="#104B90" | | rowspan="2" |2 |Jeiny Lizano Vargas<sup>(VP)</sup> |Jessica Viviana Mora Romero |- |Jeison Francisco Salazar López |Jorge Antonio Mora Portuguez |- | rowspan="2" |[[File:Bandera Coalición Gente Montes de Oca Costa Rica.svg|border|frameless|upright=.2]] | rowspan="2" | Montes de Oca People Coalition (CGMO) | rowspan="2" bgcolor="#FCE000" | | rowspan="2" |2 |Carolina Monge Castilla |Kimberly María Ortiz Villalta |----- |Jorge Luis Espinoza Camacho |Gustavo Campos Alfaro |- |[[File:Bandera de Partido Liberación Nacional.svg|border|frameless|upright=.2]] |[[National Liberation Party (Costa Rica)|National Liberation Party]] (PLN) | bgcolor="#186E47" | |1 |Enrique Sibaja Granados<sup>(P)</sup> |Danilo Rodríguez Arias |- |[[File:Bandera Coalición Somos Montes de Oca CR-SJ-MC.svg|border|frameless|upright=.2]] |We Are Montes de Oca Coalition (CSMO) | bgcolor="#C75F4E" | |1 |Marta Cleotilde Corrales Sánchez |Irene Salazar Carvajal |- |[[File:Bandera Partido En Común CR-SJ.svg|border|frameless|upright=.2]] |In Common Party (PEC) | bgcolor="#EC008C" | |1 |Kattia López Alvarado |Maritere Alvarado Achio |}

== Geography == Montes de Oca has an area of {{cvt|15.78|km2}} and a mean elevation of {{cvt|1262|m}}.<ref name="ignarea">{{Cite web |author=Instituto Geográfico Nacional de Costa Rica |date=20 June 2024 |title=División Territorial Administrativa, 2024 |trans-title=Administrative Territorial Division, 2024 |url=https://files.snitcr.go.cr/boletines/DTA-TABLA%20POR%20PROVINCIA-CANT%C3%93N-DISTRITO%202024.pdf |language=es |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="divadm"/>

The elongated canton reaches from the suburbs of the national capital of [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]] eastward to the province of Cartago, and neighbors the cantons of [[Curridabat]], [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]], [[Cartago Province|Cartago]], and [[Goicoechea (canton)|Goicoechea]]. The Torres River delineate a portion of the northern boundary, while the Ocloro River and Poró Creek mark the southern boundary.

== Districts == The canton of Montes de Oca is subdivided into the following [[Districts of Costa Rica|districts]]: # [[San Pedro District, Montes de Oca|San Pedro]] # [[Sabanilla District, Montes de Oca|Sabanilla]] # [[Mercedes District, Montes de Oca|Mercedes]] # [[San Rafael District, Montes de Oca|San Rafael]]

== Demographics == {{CR Census population}} Montes de Oca had an estimated {{formatnum:53862}} inhabitants in 2022,<ref name="2022popest">{{Cite book |author=Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos |author-link=National Institute of Statistics and Census of Costa Rica |url=https://admin.inec.cr/sites/default/files/2023-10/rePoblacResultadosGenerales_Estimacion_poblacion_vivienda_2022_0.pdf |title=Estimación de Población y Vivienda 2022 : Resultados Generales |date=July 2023 |isbn=9789930525753 |language=es |trans-title=2022 Population and Housing Estimate : General Results}}</ref> up from {{formatnum:49132}} at the time of the [[Costa Rica 2011 Census|2011 census]].<ref name="censo2011">{{cite web |lang=es |title=Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito |url=https://www.inec.cr/censos/censos-2011 |website=Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos |access-date=26 September 2020}}</ref>

The canton is known for its high level of commercial development, the number of universities and other centers of higher education, and its active night life. It is one of the most urbanized and vibrant cantons in the San José area, both day and night.

In 2022, Montes de Oca ranked fourth highest in the Costa Rican cantonal [[Human Development Index]], with a score of 0.857.<ref name="2022hdi">{{Cite web |author=Sistema Nacional de Información y Registro Único de Beneficiarios del Estado |author2=Escuela de Estadística de la Universidad de Costa Rica |author-link2=University of Costa Rica |author3=Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo |author-link3=United Nations Development Programme |date=9 June 2023 |title=Atlas de Desarrollo Humano Cantonal en Costa Rica, 2022 |url=https://www.undp.org/es/costa-rica/publicaciones/atlas-de-desarrollo-humano-cantonal-2022/}}</ref>

==Education== {{main|List of universities in Costa Rica}}

Montes de Oca is known in Costa Rica as the ''Cradle of Higher Education'' as it is home to the [[University of Costa Rica]] as well as other university-level centers of study, such as the [[Latin University of Costa Rica|Universidad Latina]] and the Universidad Americana (UAM) Escuela Laboratorio. The canton can boast of 99% literacy, compared with 95% in Costa Rica at large.

==Points of interest== [[File:Mall San Pedro.jpg|thumb|Mall San Pedro]] * ''Fuente de la Hispanidad'' (The Fountain of Hispanity), a large fountain in a major roundabout built in the mid-80s that focuses on Costa Rica's cultural heritage. It is a major landmark in the area. * Mall San Pedro, a shopping center built in the mid-90s, contains tattoo parlors, a movie theater, a food court, video game shops, and clothing stores. * ''Iglesia de San Pedro'' (San Pedro Catholic Church) * ''[[Calle de la Amargura]]'' (Bitterness Street) a street centered around the nightlife of the University of Costa Rica.

== Transportation == === Road transportation === The canton is covered by the following road routes: {{columns-list| *[[File:CR RNP 2.svg|25px]] [[National Route 2 (Costa Rica)|National Route 2]] *[[File:CR RNP 39.svg|25px]] [[National Route 39 (Costa Rica)|National Route 39]] *[[File:CR RNS 201.svg|25px]] [[National Route 201 (Costa Rica)|National Route 201]] *[[File:CR RNS 202.svg|25px]] [[National Route 202 (Costa Rica)|National Route 202]] *[[File:CR RNS 203.svg|25px]] [[National Route 203 (Costa Rica)|National Route 203]] *[[File:CR RNT 306.svg|25px]] [[National Route 306 (Costa Rica)|National Route 306]] }} === Rail transportation === The [[Interurbano Line (Costa Rica)|Interurbano Line]] operated by [[Incofer]] goes through this canton.

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

{{Provinces of Costa Rica}}

[[Category:Cantons of San José Province]] [[Category:Populated places in San José Province]] [[Category:Greater Metropolitan Area (Costa Rica)]]