# San Carlos (canton)

San Carlos is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. The capital city of the canton is Ciudad Quesada.

## History

San Carlos was created on 26 September 1911 by decree 17.

## Geography

San Carlos has an area of 3,352.33 km$^2$ (1,294.34 sq mi) and a mean elevation of 340 m (1,120 ft).
The canton encompasses a major portion of the San Carlos Plain, a wide expanse on the Caribbean side of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range). San Carlos reaches north to the border of Nicaragua, east to the province of Heredia, west to the province of Guanacaste, and south into the heights of the Cordillera.
San Carlos is noted as the home of Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The canton's principal economic activities include the production of oranges, yuca, pineapple, sugar cane, beef and dairy products. More than 50% of the national dairy production in Costa Rica comes from San Carlos.

## 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 National Liberation Party candidate, Juan Diego González Picado, was elected mayor of the canton with 33.09% of the votes, with Pilar Porras Zúñiga and Diana Murillo Murillo as first and second vice mayors, respectively.
Mayors of San Carlos since the 2002 elections :
| Period | Name | Party |
| 2002–2006 | Alfredo Córdoba Soro | PLN |
| 2006–2010 | Alfredo Córdoba Soro | PLN |
| 2010–2016 | Alfredo Córdoba Soro | PLN |
| 2016–2020 | Alfredo Córdoba Soro | PLN |
| 2020–2024 | Alfredo Córdoba Soro | PLN |
| 2024–2028 | Juan Diego González Picado | PLN |

### Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. San Carlos' Municipal Council has 9 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 Social Christian Unity Party member, Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:
Current composition of the Municipal Council of San Carlos after the 2024 municipal elections :
| Political parties in the Municipal Council of San Carlos ||||||
| Political party | Political party | Political party | Regidores | Regidores | Regidores |
| Political party | Political party | Political party | № | Owner | Substitute |
| | National Liberation Party (PLN) | | 3 | Freddy Mauricio Rodríguez Quesada | Álvaro Ignacio Esquivel Castro |
| | National Liberation Party (PLN) | | 3 | Ashley Tatiana Brenes Alvarado | Marianela Murillo Vargas |
| | National Liberation Party (PLN) | | 3 | Sergio Chaves Acevedo | Eduardo Salas Rodríguez |
| | Costa Rica Rules Here (ACRM) | | 2 | Luisa María Chacón Caamaño | Flor de María Blanco Solís |
| | Costa Rica Rules Here (ACRM) | | 2 | Melvin López Sancho | Marco Aurelio Sirias Víctor |
| | Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) | | 2 | Julia Patricia Romero Barrientos | Amalia Salas Porras |
| | Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) | | 2 | Esteban Rodríguez Murillo | Juan Pablo Rodríguez Acuña |
| | Progreser (PGS) | | 1 | Jorge Luis Zapata Arroyo | Jorge Antonio Rodríguez Miranda |
| | Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) | | 1 | Raquel Tatiana Marín Cerdas$^{(P)}$ | Mariam Torres Morera |

## Districts

The canton of San Carlos is subdivided into the following districts:
* Quesada
* Florencia
* Buenavista
* Aguas Zarcas
* Venecia
* Pital
* La Fortuna
* La Tigra
* La Palmera
* Venado
* Cutris
* Monterrey
* Pocosol

## Demographics

San Carlos had an estimated 198,742 inhabitants in 2022, second highest in its province and fourth highest in the country, behind San José, Alajuela, and Desamparados. This is an increase from 163,745 people for the 2011 census.
According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme, San Carlos had a Human Development Index of 0.765 in 2022, putting it 6th highest in its province and 28th overall.

## Transportation
### Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes:
* National Route 4
* National Route 35
* National Route 140
* National Route 141
* National Route 142
* National Route 227
* National Route 250
* National Route 702
* National Route 734
* National Route 738
* National Route 739
* National Route 744
* National Route 745
* National Route 746
* National Route 747
* National Route 748
* National Route 749
* National Route 750
* National Route 751
* National Route 752
* National Route 753
* National Route 761
* National Route 936

## Education

There is a branch of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology in Santa Clara, San Carlos.

## Sports

In federated soccer, San Carlos is represented by Asociación Deportiva San Carlos. This association also gives its name to numerous minor league teams that have notably excelled at the national level.