# Montes de Oca (canton)

Montes de Oca is a canton in the San José province of Costa Rica. The head city of the canton is San Pedro.

## Toponymy

Its name honors a former congressional representative from the area, Don Faustino Montes de Oca (1859–1902).

## History

Montes de Oca was created on 1 August 1915 by decree 45.

## Government
### Mayor

According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton. As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) candidate, Domingo Arguello García, was elected mayor of the canton with 25.56% of the votes, with Haydee Castillo Castro and Andrés Vesalio Guzmán Gómez as first and second vice mayors, respectively.
Mayors of Montes de Oca since the 2002 elections :
| Period | Name | Party |
| 2002–2006 | Sonia María Montero Díaz | PAC |
| 2006–2010 | Fernando Trejos Ballestero | UPC |
| 2010–2016 | Fernando Trejos Ballestero | PRC |
| 2016–2020 | Marcel Soler Rubio | CGMO |
| 2020–2024 | Marcel Soler Rubio | CGMO |
| 2024–2028 | Domingo Arguello García | PUSC |

### Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. Montes de Oca'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. The current president of the Municipal Council is National Liberation Party regidor Enrique Sibaja Granados, with Social Christian Unity Party regidora Jeiny Lizano Vargas as vice-president. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:
Composition of the Municipal Council of Montes de Oca after the 2024 municipal elections :
| Political parties in the Municipal Council of Montes de Oca ||||||
| Political party | Political party | Political party | Regidores | Regidores | Regidores |
| Political party | Political party | Political party | № | Owner | Substitute |
| | Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) | | 2 | Jeiny Lizano Vargas$^{(VP)}$ | Jessica Viviana Mora Romero |
| | Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) | | 2 | Jeison Francisco Salazar López | Jorge Antonio Mora Portuguez |
| | Montes de Oca People Coalition (CGMO) | | 2 | Carolina Monge Castilla | Kimberly María Ortiz Villalta |
| | Montes de Oca People Coalition (CGMO) | | 2 | Jorge Luis Espinoza Camacho | Gustavo Campos Alfaro |
| | National Liberation Party (PLN) | | 1 | Enrique Sibaja Granados$^{(P)}$ | Danilo Rodríguez Arias |
| | We Are Montes de Oca Coalition (CSMO) | | 1 | Marta Cleotilde Corrales Sánchez | Irene Salazar Carvajal |
| | In Common Party (PEC) | | 1 | Kattia López Alvarado | Maritere Alvarado Achio |

## Geography

Montes de Oca has an area of 15.78 km$^2$ (6.09 sq mi) and a mean elevation of 1,262 m (4,140 ft).
The elongated canton reaches from the suburbs of the national capital of San José eastward to the province of Cartago, and neighbors the cantons of Curridabat, San José, Cartago, and Goicoechea. The Torres River delineate a portion of the northern boundary, while the Ocloro River and Poró Creek mark the southern boundary.

## Districts

The canton of Montes de Oca is subdivided into the following districts:
* San Pedro
* Sabanilla
* Mercedes
* San Rafael

## Demographics

Montes de Oca had an estimated 53,862 inhabitants in 2022, up from 49,132 at the time of the 2011 census.
The canton is known for its high level of commercial development, the number of universities and other centers of higher education, and its active night life. It is one of the most urbanized and vibrant cantons in the San José area, both day and night.
In 2022, Montes de Oca ranked fourth highest in the Costa Rican cantonal Human Development Index, with a score of 0.857.

## Education

Montes de Oca is known in Costa Rica as the Cradle of Higher Education as it is home to the University of Costa Rica as well as other university-level centers of study, such as the Universidad Latina and the Universidad Americana (UAM) Escuela Laboratorio. The canton can boast of 99% literacy, compared with 95% in Costa Rica at large.

## Points of interest

* Fuente de la Hispanidad (The Fountain of Hispanity), a large fountain in a major roundabout built in the mid-80s that focuses on Costa Rica's cultural heritage. It is a major landmark in the area.
* Mall San Pedro, a shopping center built in the mid-90s, contains tattoo parlors, a movie theater, a food court, video game shops, and clothing stores.
* Iglesia de San Pedro (San Pedro Catholic Church)
* Calle de la Amargura (Bitterness Street) a street centered around the nightlife of the University of Costa Rica.

## Transportation
### Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:
* National Route 2
* National Route 39
* National Route 201
* National Route 202
* National Route 203
* National Route 306

### Rail transportation

The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton.