Alajuelita (canton)


Alajuelita is the 10th canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 21.17 km², and has a population of 75,418. The capital city of the canton is Alajuelita.
The odd-shaped canton reaches southwest from the suburbs of the national capital city of San José. It is delineated by the Río Tiribí on the northeast, Río Cañas on the east, Río Poás on the southeast, and the Cerros de Escazú at it far southwestern end. The Santuario Nacional Santo Cristo de Esquipulas is located in this canton along with the Cerro San Miguel, whose metallic cross built at its peak is definitely one of the more beloved landmarks in Costa Rican Central Region.

Districts

The canton of Alajuelita is subdivided into five districts :
  1. Alajuelita
  2. San Josecito
  3. San Antonio
  4. Concepción
  5. San Felipe

    History

The canton was established by a decree of June 4, 1909. The first settlements in the area occurred by 1650. The name "Alajuelita" comes from a diminutive form of the name of Alajuela province due to original colonization coming from that province.