# Puriscal (canton)

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Canton in San José province, Costa Rica

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Canton in San José, Costa Rica

Puriscal Canton Flag Seal Puriscal canton Puriscal Puriscal canton location in San José Province Show map of San José Province Puriscal Puriscal canton location in Costa Rica Show map of Costa Rica Coordinates: 9°43′59″N 84°22′21″W / 9.7330278°N 84.3726231°W / 9.7330278; -84.3726231 Country Costa Rica Province San José Creation 26 June 1914 Head city Santiago Districts Districts Santiago Mercedes Sur Barbacoas Grifo Alto San Rafael Candelarita Desamparaditos San Antonio Chires Government • Type Municipality • Body Municipalidad de Puriscal • Mayor Iris Cristina Arroyo Hererra (PLN) Area • Total 555.02 km2 (214.29 sq mi) Elevation 945 m (3,100 ft) Population (2011) • Total 33,004 • Estimate (2022) 38,525 • Density 59.465/km2 (154.01/sq mi) Time zone UTC−06:00 Canton code 104 Website puriscal.go.cr

**Puriscal** is the 4th [canton](/source/Cantons_of_Costa_Rica) in the province of [San José](/source/San_Jos%C3%A9_Province), [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica).[1][2] The head city of the canton is [Santiago](/source/Santiago_District%2C_Puriscal).

## Toponymy

In [Spanish](/source/Spanish_language), a *purisco* is the flower of the [common bean](/source/Common_bean). A *puriscal* is a field of flowering beans.

## History

Puriscal canton was established by decree on 7 August, 1868.[3]

## Geography

Puriscal has an area of 555.02 km2 (214.29 sq mi)[4] and a mean elevation of 945 m (3,100 ft).[1]

Chucás River delineates the canton's northernmost boundary, while the Chires River marks its far southern border, with the canton of [Parrita](/source/Parrita_Canton) in [Puntarenas Province](/source/Puntarenas_Province). Puriscal includes a significant portion of the Coastal Mountain Range. However, the canton is landlocked.

## Government

### Mayor

According to Costa Rica's [Municipal Code](/source/Local_government_in_Costa_Rica), mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton.[5] As of the latest [municipal elections in 2024](/source/2024_Costa_Rican_municipal_elections), the [National Liberation Party](/source/National_Liberation_Party_(Costa_Rica)) candidate, Iris Cristina Arroyo Herrera, was elected mayor of the canton with 60.39% of the votes, with Miguel Ángel Mata Zúñiga and David Alonso Carrera Herrera as first and second vice mayors, respectively.[6]

Mayors of Puriscal since the 2002 elections[7] Period Name Party 2002–2006 Carlos Araya Jiménez PLN 2006–2010 Jorge Luis Chaves Gutiérrez 2010–2016 Manuel Espinoza Campos 2016–2020 Luis Madrigal Hidalgo PUSC 2020–2024 Iris Cristina Arroyo Herrera PLN 2024–2028

### Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called *regidores*) are elected every four years. Puriscal's Municipal Council has 7 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor (*regidor propietario*) is absent.[5] The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Current composition of the Municipal Council of Puriscal after the 2024 municipal elections[8] Political parties in the Municipal Council of Puriscal Political party Regidores № Owner Substitute National Liberation Party (PLN) 3 Santiago Castro Fallas Giovanni Mora Rodríguez Mireya Mora Jiménez Mariangel Mora Herrera José Pablo Fernández Soto Mario Chacón Rubí Puriscal on the Move (PM) 1 Orlando Fernández Fernández Michael Hernán Fernández Guerrero Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) 1 Gloriana Bermúdez Durán Priscilla Vanessa Aguilar Jiménez

## Demographics

‹ The [template](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Template) *[Historical populations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Historical_populations)* is being [considered for merging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Templates_for_discussion/Log/2026_June_24#Template:Infobox_demographics). ›

Historical population Census Pop. ±% p.a. 1883 1,942 — 1892 6,845 +15.02% 1927 13,329 +1.92% 1950 16,743 +1.00% 1963 23,690 +2.71% 1973 24,150 +0.19% 1984 23,123 −0.39% 2000 29,407 +1.51% 2011 33,004 +1.05% 2022 38,525 +1.42% Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[9] Centro Centroamericano de Población[10]

Puriscal had an estimated population of 38,525 people in 2022, up from 33,004 at the time of the [2011 census](/source/2011_Costa_Rican_census).[11][12]

Puriscal had a [Human Development Index](/source/Human_Development_Index) of 0.755 in 2022.[13] Its [Multidimensional Poverty Index](/source/Multidimensional_Poverty_Index) in 2023 was 0.072.[14]

Only 18% of the canton's population live in urban areas. Among its inhabitants, 20.2% are under ten, and 7.4% are over 65.

## Districts

The canton of Puriscal is subdivided into the following [districts](/source/Districts_of_Costa_Rica):

1. [Santiago](/source/Santiago_District%2C_Puriscal)

1. [Mercedes Sur](/source/Mercedes_Sur_District)

1. [Barbacoas](/source/Barbacoas_District)

1. [Grifo Alto](/source/Grifo_Alto_District)

1. [San Rafael](/source/San_Rafael_District%2C_Puriscal)

1. [Candelarita](/source/Candelarita_District)

1. [Desamparaditos](/source/Desamparaditos_District)

1. [San Antonio](/source/San_Antonio_District%2C_Puriscal)

1. [Chires](/source/Chires_District)

## Transportation

### Road transportation

The following road routes cover the canton:

- [National Route 136](/source/National_Route_136_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 137](/source/National_Route_137_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 239](/source/National_Route_239_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 314](/source/National_Route_314_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 316](/source/National_Route_316_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 317](/source/National_Route_317_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 318](/source/National_Route_318_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 319](/source/National_Route_319_(Costa_Rica))

- [National Route 324](/source/National_Route_324_(Costa_Rica))

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-divadm_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-divadm_1-1) ["Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP"](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). *Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica* (in Spanish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dta2017_2-0)** [*División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica*](https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf) (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional. 8 March 2017. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9977-58-477-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9977-58-477-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-crevoterritorial_3-0)** Hernández, Hermógenes (1985). [*Costa Rica: evolución territorial y principales censos de población 1502 - 1984*](https://ccp.ucr.ac.cr/bvp/mapoteca/CostaRica/generales/atlas_censal/) (in Spanish) (1 ed.). San José: Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia. pp. 164–173. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9977-64-243-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9977-64-243-5). Retrieved 5 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ignarea_4-0)** Instituto Geográfico Nacional de Costa Rica (20 June 2024). ["División Territorial Administrativa, 2024 – Totales de Provincias, Cantones y Distritos de Costa Rica"](https://files.snitcr.go.cr/boletines/DTA-TABLA%20POR%20PROVINCIA-CANT%C3%93N-DISTRITO%202024.pdf) [Administrative Territorial Division, 2024 – Totals of Provinces, Cantons and Districts of Costa Rica] (PDF) (in Spanish).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-codmuni_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-codmuni_5-1) [Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_Costa_Rica) (13 May 2024). ["Código Municipal"](http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?nValor1=1&nValor2=40197) [Municipal Code]. *Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica* (in Spanish).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2024alcdec2_6-0)** [Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones](/source/Supreme_Electoral_Court_of_Costa_Rica) (21 February 2024). ["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"](https://www.tse.go.cr/juris/relevantes/1658-E11-2024.html) (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-decs_7-0)** [Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones](/source/Supreme_Electoral_Court_of_Costa_Rica). ["Resoluciones declaratorias de elección"](https://www.tse.go.cr/declaratorias.htm). *Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones* (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2024regdec2_8-0)** [Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones](/source/Tribunal_Supremo_de_Elecciones_de_Costa_Rica) (12 February 2024). ["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"](https://www.tse.go.cr/juris/relevantes/2218-E11-2024.html) (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos"](https://www.inec.cr/) (in Spanish).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Centro Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad de Costa Rica. ["Sistema de Consulta a Bases de Datos Estadísticas"](https://censos.ccp.ucr.ac.cr/) (in Spanish).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2022popest_11-0)** [Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos](/source/National_Institute_of_Statistics_and_Census_of_Costa_Rica) (July 2023). [*Estimación de Población y Vivienda 2022 : Resultados Generales*](https://admin.inec.cr/sites/default/files/2023-10/rePoblacResultadosGenerales_Estimacion_poblacion_vivienda_2022_0.pdf) [*2022 Population and Housing Estimate : General Results*] (PDF) (in Spanish). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789930525753](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789930525753). Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-censo2011_12-0)** ["Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito"](https://www.inec.cr/censos/censos-2011). *Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos* (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2022hdi_13-0)** Sistema Nacional de Información y Registro Único de Beneficiarios del Estado; [Escuela de Estadística de la Universidad de Costa Rica](/source/University_of_Costa_Rica); [Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo](/source/United_Nations_Development_Programme) (9 June 2023). ["Atlas de Desarrollo Humano Cantonal en Costa Rica, 2022"](https://www.undp.org/es/costa-rica/publicaciones/atlas-de-desarrollo-humano-cantonal-2022/). Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo [PNUD]. (2024) Atlas de Desarrollo Humano Cantonal en Costa Rica 2023. Costa Rica. Page 8

v t e Provinces and cantons of Costa Rica Alajuela Alajuela Atenas Grecia Guatuso Los Chiles Naranjo Orotina Palmares Poás San Carlos San Mateo San Ramón Upala Sarchí Río Cuarto Zarcero Costa Rica portal Cartago Alvarado Cartago El Guarco Jiménez La Unión Oreamuno Paraíso Turrialba Guanacaste Abangares Bagaces Cañas Carrillo Hojancha La Cruz Liberia Nandayure Nicoya Santa Cruz Tilarán Heredia Barva Belén Flores Heredia San Isidro San Pablo San Rafael Santa Bárbara Santo Domingo Sarapiquí Limón Guácimo Limón Matina Pococí Siquirres Talamanca Puntarenas Buenos Aires Corredores Coto Brus Esparza Garabito Golfito Montes de Oro Monteverde Osa Parrita Puerto Jiménez Puntarenas Quepos San José Acosta Alajuelita Aserrí Curridabat Desamparados Dota Escazú Goicoechea León Cortés Castro Montes de Oca Mora Moravia Pérez Zeledón Puriscal San José Santa Ana Tarrazú Tibás Turrubares Vázquez de Coronado

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