Puntarenas  | |
|---|---|
![]() Flag ![]() Seal  | |
Puntarenas canton  | |
| Country | |
| Province | Puntarenas | 
| Creation | 7 December 1848[1] | 
| Head city | Puntarenas | 
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality | 
| • Body | Municipalidad de Puntarenas | 
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,842.33 km2 (711.33 sq mi) | 
| Elevation | 169 m (554 ft) | 
| Population  (2011)  | |
| • Total | 115,019 | 
| • Density | 62/km2 (160/sq mi) | 
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 | 
| Canton code | 601 | 
| Website | www | 
Puntarenas is a canton in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica.[2][3] The head city is Puntarenas.
History
Puntarenas was created on 7 December 1848 by decree 167.[1]
Geography
Puntarenas has an area of 1,842.33 km²[4] and a mean elevation of 169 metres.[2]
The canton includes areas on both sides of the Gulf of Nicoya. The southern portion of the Nicoya Peninsula is also in the canton, including the popular tourist areas of Tambor, Montezuma and Malpais.
Districts
The canton of Puntarenas is subdivided into the following districts:
- Puntarenas
 - Pitahaya
 - Chomes
 - Lepanto
 - Paquera
 - Manzanillo
 - Guacimal
 - Barranca
 - Isla del Coco
 - Cóbano
 - Chacarita
 - Chira
 - Acapulco
 - El Roble
 - Arancibia
 
Monte Verde was the ninth district of the canton, on 29 September 2021 it was segregated to become a canton on its own, the Monteverde canton, the twelfth of Puntarenas province and eighty third of the country.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1864 | 2,942 | — | |
| 1883 | 4,018 | 36.6% | |
| 1892 | 8,869 | 120.7% | |
| 1927 | 14,746 | 66.3% | |
| 1950 | 31,074 | 110.7% | |
| 1963 | 55,592 | 78.9% | |
| 1973 | 65,562 | 17.9% | |
| 1984 | 74,135 | 13.1% | |
| 2000 | 102,504 | 38.3% | |
| 2011 | 115,019 | 12.2% | |
| 
 Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[5]  | 
|||
For the 2011 census, Puntarenas had a population of 115,019 inhabitants.[7]
Transportation
Road transportation
The canton is covered by the following road routes:
 National Route 1
 National Route 17
 National Route 21
 National Route 23
 National Route 132
 National Route 160
 National Route 163
 National Route 601
 National Route 602
 National Route 603
 National Route 604
 National Route 605
 National Route 606
 National Route 619
 National Route 620
 National Route 621
 National Route 623
 National Route 624
References
- 1 2 Hernández, Hermógenes (1985). Costa Rica: evolución territorial y principales censos de población 1502 - 1984 (in Spanish) (1 ed.). San José: Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia. pp. 164–173. ISBN 9977-64-243-5. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
 - 1 2 "Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP". Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica (in Spanish). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
 - ↑ División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional. 8 March 2017. ISBN 978-9977-58-477-5.
 - ↑ "Área en kilómetros cuadrados, según provincia, cantón y distrito administrativo". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
 - ↑ "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos" (in Spanish).
 - ↑ "Sistema de Consulta de a Bases de Datos Estadísticas". Centro Centroamericano de Población (in Spanish).
 - ↑ "Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
 

