Colón, Costa Rica

Colón, more commonly referred to as Ciudad Colón is a district and the head city of the Mora canton, in the San José province of Costa Rica.^[1][2] It is famous for its warm climate, proximity to nature and its surrounding mountains, folkloric traditions, horse riding, and multiculturalism.

Colón
District
Ciudad Colón, aerial view
Colón district
Colón Colón district location in Costa Rica
Coordinates: 9.9096293°N 84.2620424°W / 9.9096293; -84.2620424
Country	Costa Rica
Province	San José
Canton	Mora
Area
• Total	40.12 km2 (15.49 sq mi)
Elevation	840 m (2,760 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	16,088
• Density	400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00
Postal code	10701

Toponymy

Named after Christopher Columbus (Spanish: Cristobal Colón), Ciudad Colón used to be called Villa Colón, and before that it was called Pacaca, which was the name of the chief of a local tribe.

Geography

Colón has an area of 40.12 km^2[3] and an elevation of 840 metres.^[1]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	±% p.a.
1864	898	—
1883	879	−0.11%
1892	891	+0.15%
1927	2,715	+3.23%
1950	2,699	−0.03%
1963	3,542	+2.11%
1973	5,122	+3.76%
1984	7,361	+3.35%
2000	13,477	+3.85%
2011	16,088	+1.62%
2022	17,274	+0.65%
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos[4] Centro Centroamericano de Población[5]

For the 2011 census, Colón had a population of 16,088 inhabitants.^[6]

Colón can be considered as cosmopolitan as Santa Ana or Escazu, but in terms of amenities and services available, it is considered a typical small Costa Rican town. The cost of living is lower than in Santa Ana or Escazu. There are two major supermarkets that meet the needs and requirements of expatriates and dozens of other small stores, banks and pharmacies. There are no upscale bars or restaurants but there are many local venues catering to food and entertainment. Ciudad Colón is particularly suitable for outdoor activities such as horse riding, mountainboarding, biking, running and hiking.

Locations

Located some 6 km out into the hills is the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE). People from over 60 nationalities live in Ciudad Colon at any given time, making it one of the most multi-cultural towns of its size in the world.^{[citation needed]} Most of this expatriate population consists of students, faculty members, and visiting professors from the university.

Close to the town is Quitirrisí, an indigenous reserve in the Central Valley known for the residents' handcraft abilities.

Transportation

Road transportation

The district is covered by the following road routes:

• National Route 22
• National Route 121
• National Route 136
• National Route 239

References

• Costa Rica portal

1. "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.
2. 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.
3. "Área en kilómetros cuadrados, según provincia, cantón y distrito administrativo". Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
4. "Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos" (in Spanish).
5. Centro Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad de Costa Rica. "Sistema de Consulta a Bases de Datos Estadísticas" (in Spanish).
6. "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.