# Paraíso (canton)

Paraíso is a canton in the Cartago province of Costa Rica. The head city is in Paraíso district.

## History

Paraíso was created on 7 December 1848 by decree 167.

## Geography

Paraíso has an area of 476.99 km$^2$ (184.17 sq mi) and a mean elevation of 1,171 m (3,842 ft).
Paraíso is an elongated canton that stretches southeast from its head city to encompass a swatch of the Cordillera de Talamanca (Talamanca Mountain Range).

## 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 United We Can candidate, Michaell Álvarez Quirós, was elected mayor of the canton with 41.37% of the votes, with Merlyn Rojas Mora and Roger Ricardo Zúñiga Vega as first and second vice mayors, respectively.
Mayors of Paraíso since the 2002 elections :
| Period | Name | Party |
| 2002–2006 | Marvin Solano Zúñiga | PAPA |
| 2006–2010 | Marvin Solano Zúñiga | PML |
| 2010–2016 | Jorge Rodríguez Araya | PUSC |
| 2016–2020 | Marvin Solano Zúñiga | PASE |
| 2020–2024 | Carlos Manuel Ramírez Sánchez | PLN |
| 2024–2028 | Michaell Álvarez Quirós | UP |

### Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. Paraíso'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 the Progressive Liberal Party member, Aldo Mata Coghi, with National Liberation Party member Silvia Elena Arce Araya as vice president. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:
Current composition of the Municipal Council of Paraíso after the 2024 municipal elections :
| Political parties in the Municipal Council of Paraíso ||||||
| Political party | Political party | Political party | Regidores | Regidores | Regidores |
| Political party | Political party | Political party | № | Owner | Substitute |
| | United We Can (UP) | | 3 | Kattia Alfaro Saenz | María Gabriela Solano Marín |
| | United We Can (UP) | | 3 | Jaime Andrés Coto Espinoza | Julio Sánchez Soto |
| | United We Can (UP) | | 3 | Milany Sofía Obando Mora | Ana Catalina Barquero Quesada |
| | National Liberation Party (PLN) | | 2 | Luis Diego Calderón Sánchez | Javier Mauricio Hernández Castillo |
| | National Liberation Party (PLN) | | 2 | Silvia Elena Arce Araya$^{(VP)}$ | Sussana Irene Mata Quesada |
| | Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) | | 1 | Agustín Enrique Siles Solano | Walter Solano Segura |
| | Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) | | 1 | Aldo Mata Coghi$^{(P)}$ | Felipe Alberto Loaiza Araya |

## Districts

The canton of Paraíso is subdivided into the following districts:
* Paraíso
* Santiago
* Orosi
* Cachí
* Llanos de Santa Lucía
* Birrisito

## Demographics

Paraíso had an estimated 65,941 inhabitants in 2022, up from the 57,743 people at the time of the 2011 census.
In 2022, Paraíso had a Human Development Index of 0.778, ranking it 4th highest in its province.

## Transportation
### Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:
* National Route 2
* National Route 10
* National Route 224
* National Route 225
* National Route 404
* National Route 405
* National Route 408
* National Route 416

### Rail transportation

The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton.