# Ovalle

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City and Commune in Coquimbo, Chile

Ovalle City and Commune Flag Coat of arms Ovalle Location in Chile Interactive map of Ovalle Coordinates: 30°36′S 71°12′W / 30.600°S 71.200°W / -30.600; -71.200 Country Chile Region Coquimbo Province Limarí Founded 1831 Government [1] • Type Municipality • Alcalde Hector Vega Campusano Area [2] • Total 3,834.5 km2 (1,480.5 sq mi) Elevation 215 m (705 ft) Population (2012 Census)[2] • Total 103,734 • Density 27.053/km2 (70.066/sq mi) • Urban 73,790 • Rural 24,299 Sex [2] • Men 47,805 • Women 50,284 Time zone UTC−4 (CLT) • Summer (DST) UTC−3 (CLST) Postal code 1840000 Area code 56 + 53 Climate BSh Website Official website (in Spanish)

**Ovalle** is a [city](/source/List_of_cities_in_Chile) in the [Coquimbo Region](/source/Coquimbo_Region) of Chile,[3] founded in 1831 as a settlement. It has a population of more than 113,000 people. The name Ovalle was chosen in honor of [José Tomás Ovalle](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Tom%C3%A1s_Ovalle), former Chilean vice president and two-time acting president. Ovalle is the capital of the [Limarí Province](/source/Limar%C3%AD_Province).

The city's setting is often likened to an oasis, being lush and green although surrounded by barren hills.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The city lies amidst a mining district with the copper mine of [Panulcillo](/source/Panulcillo) and the iron mine of [El Dorado](/source/El_Dorado_mine) lying in its immediate vicinities.[4][5] Next ot Panulcillo state-owned company [ENAMI](/source/ENAMI_(Chile)) operates [Planta Delta](/source/Planta_Delta) which purchases and processes ore from local small-scale miners.[5]

There is a trail leading from the city that lasts roughly 50 minutes, and features relatively safe bathing and an area where dinosaur fossils can be found. On the trail is a life-sized model of a [brachiosaurus](/source/Brachiosaurus).

The town's football club is [Deportes Ovalle](/source/Deportes_Ovalle). Famous players have played for the club, including [1982 FIFA World Cup](/source/1982_FIFA_World_Cup) player [Rodolfo Dubó](/source/Rodolfo_Dub%C3%B3).

## Demographics

According to the 2002 [census](/source/Census) of the [National Statistics Institute](/source/National_Statistics_Institute_(Chile)), Ovalle spans an area of 3,834.5 km2 (1,481 sq mi) and has 98,089 inhabitants (47,805 men and 50,284 women). Of these, 73,790 (75.2%) lived in [urban areas](/source/Urban_area) and 24,299 (24.8%) in [rural areas](/source/Rural_area). The population grew by 15.4% (13,107 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]

## Climate

The climate is semi-desertic. Ovalle has hot and dry summers, with temperatures in the range 22–33 °C. Winters are humid and fresh, and is when rains occur. The temperatures in winter are generally lower than nearby cities like La Serena or Punitaqui, due to cold winds that come from the Andes through the Ovalle valley. Temperatures rarely fall below -5 °C.

Climate data for Ovalle Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28.4 (83.1) 28.3 (82.9) 26.8 (80.2) 23.9 (75.0) 21.0 (69.8) 18.4 (65.1) 18.1 (64.6) 19.6 (67.3) 21.7 (71.1) 23.8 (74.8) 25.8 (78.4) 27.4 (81.3) 23.6 (74.5) Daily mean °C (°F) 19.8 (67.6) 19.8 (67.6) 17.6 (63.7) 15.2 (59.4) 13.2 (55.8) 11.4 (52.5) 10.9 (51.6) 11.7 (53.1) 13.4 (56.1) 14.8 (58.6) 16.9 (62.4) 18.6 (65.5) 15.3 (59.5) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.0 (55.4) 12.4 (54.3) 11.0 (51.8) 9.2 (48.6) 7.7 (45.9) 6.5 (43.7) 6.1 (43.0) 6.5 (43.7) 7.7 (45.9) 8.6 (47.5) 9.9 (49.8) 11.5 (52.7) 9.2 (48.5) Average precipitation mm (inches) 0.0 (0.0) 1.1 (0.04) 0.7 (0.03) 2.1 (0.08) 29.5 (1.16) 42.1 (1.66) 26.9 (1.06) 21.2 (0.83) 5.7 (0.22) 2.7 (0.11) 0.9 (0.04) 1.1 (0.04) 134 (5.27) Average relative humidity (%) 74 65 69 73 76 78 78 76 73 69 66 64 72 Source: Bioclimatografia de Chile[6]

## Administration

As a commune, Ovalle is a third-level [administrative division of Chile](/source/Administrative_division_of_Chile) administered by a [municipal council](/source/Municipal_council), headed by an [alcalde](/source/Alcalde) who is directly elected every four years. The 2012-2016 alcalde is Claudio Rentería Larrondo.

Within the [electoral divisions of Chile](/source/Electoral_divisions_of_Chile), Ovalle is represented in the [Chamber of Deputies](/source/Chamber_of_Deputies_of_Chile) by Pedro Velásquez ([Ind.](/source/Independent_(politician))) and Matías Walker ([PDC](/source/Christian_Democratic_Party)) as part of the 8th electoral district, (together with [Coquimbo](/source/Coquimbo) and [Río Hurtado](/source/R%C3%ADo_Hurtado)). The commune is represented in the [Senate](/source/Senate_of_Chile) by Gonzalo Uriarte ([UDI](/source/Independent_Democratic_Union)) and Jorge Pizarro Soto ([PDC](/source/Christian_Democratic_Party)) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).

## Notable people

See also: [Category:People from Ovalle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_from_Ovalle)

The pediatrician and biochemist [Hermann Niemeyer](/source/Hermann_Niemeyer), one of the central figures in the development of [biochemistry](/source/Biochemistry) in Chile, was born in Ovalle in 1918.[7] [Elisa Berroeta](/source/Elisa_Berroeta) was born in Ovalle and was a wood engraver and illustrator, active in Santiago and Paris.[8]

## Gallery

Public Square Kiosk Vista de Ovalle The Andean Mountains as seen from Fundina, Ovalle, Chile.

## See also

- [Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park](/source/Bosque_de_Fray_Jorge_National_Park)

- [Embalse La Paloma](/source/Embalse_La_Paloma)

- [Embalse Recoleta](/source/Embalse_Recoleta)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Official_1-0)** ["Municipality of Ovalle"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150526230859/http://www.municipalidaddeovalle.cl/) (in Spanish). Archived from [the original](http://www.municipalidaddeovalle.cl/) on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-INE_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-INE_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-INE_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-INE_2-3) ["National Statistics Institute"](http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php) (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Tourism in Ovalle 2021: Summer in Ovalle"](http://www.welcomechile.com/ovalle/index_i.html).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-mchi_4-0)** ["Planean reactivar producción de hierro en mina El Dorado, en zona de Ovalle"](https://www.mch.cl/negocios-industria/planean-reactivar-produccion-de-hierro-en-mina-el-dorado-en-zona-de-ovalle/). *Minería Chilena* (in Spanish). 4 September 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-lsonl_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-lsonl_5-1) ["ENAMI potencia planta DELTA en Ovalle"](https://laserenaonline.cl/2024/03/17/enami-potencia-planta-delta-en-ovalle/). *La Serena Online* (in Spanish). 17 March 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Hajek, Ernst; Castri, Francesco (1975). ["Bioclimatografia de Chile"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091122225453/http://www.ecolyma.cl/documentos/bioclimatografia_de_chile.pdf) (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from [the original](http://www.ecolyma.cl/documentos/bioclimatografia_de_chile.pdf) (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Hermann Niemeyer Fernández, Premio Nacional de Ciencias 1983"](https://www.uchile.cl/portal/presentacion/historia/grandes-figuras/premios-nacionales/ciencias-/6644/hermann-niemeyer-fernandez). Retrieved 25 June 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Cortés Aliaga, Gloria (2018). *Modernas: Historias de Mujeres en el Arte Chileno 1900–1950* [*Modern Women: stories of Women in Chilean Art 1900–1950*]. Santiago, Chile: Origo. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789563161465](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789563161465).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Ovalle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ovalle).

- (in Spanish) [Municipality of Ovalle](http://www.municipalidaddeovalle.cl/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150526230859/http://www.municipalidaddeovalle.cl/) 26 May 2015 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- (in Spanish) [Ovallito.cl](http://www.ovallito.cl/ovalle)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ovalle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovalle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovalle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.