Rio Santo, Montverde

Government

Area

Population

**Rio Santo** is the capital city of the Province of Montverde and the county seat of La Monte County. It is the second most populous city in Montverde and the most populous state capital in the Cities Union. The population was 116,787 at the 2016 census. Rio Santo has the largest port in Montverde and in the Cities Union.

Rio Santo consistently ranks as one of the highest educated cities in the Cities Union due to it's high graduation rate and school accessibility. In addition, Isaac Newton University is located in the city and helps bring an influx of students to the city during the year.

 History

The city was created by steam user **Bart** as "Roanoke". The map was edited and renamed La Monte County. La Monte County was the second county inducted into the Cities Union.

## Geography

According to the Union Census Bureau the city has a total area of 26 square miles, of which 21 square miles is land and 5 square miles (19.2%) is water.

The city is located on the southeastern corner of Montverde at the junction of the Elizabeth River (which empties into Queen Mary Bay further inland) and the Baroda Ocean.

### **Neighborhoods**

Rio Santo has many distinctive communities and neighborhoods within its boundaries, including: ACME Industrial Park, Alderney, Algonquin, Broker, Central Business District, Chinatown, Eastchester, Essex, Evergreen Terrace, Franklin (Airport), Geller Field, Greendale, Hannigan Heights, Hove Beach, Hunterdon, J.H. Tribanni Estates, Mercer, Middlesex Meadows, Nassau, New Amsterdam, Old Town, Raleigh Woods, Richmond, Riverside, Riverside Park, Specter Woods, Somerset Corner, Sterling, St. James Park, Suffolk, Underhill.

## Demographics

In 2016, the city of Rio Santo had a population of 116,787. As of the census of 2016, there were 116,787 people, and 31,256 households residing in the area. The population density was 4,491 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the area was 36.3% White, 21.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 19.7% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.4% of the population.

## Climate

Rio Santo has hot, humid summers, cool winters, and generous precipitation year-round. Its location above the Balmont Valley gives it slightly lower temperatures than cities further inland such as St. Matthew’s. Summers are hot and humid with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 77 °F (25.0 °C). Winters are cool but variable, with sporadic snowfall and lighter rain showers of longer duration. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 33.5 °F (0.8 °C). Average annual rainfall totals 40.36 in (103 cm)

## Economy

Although Rio Santo is suburban in nature, the city has a large central core, with many upscale shopping and retail centers, specifically in the Central Business District, and Algonquin. The city is also home to small startup companies, which give Rio Santo and La Monte County thousands of jobs.

### **Industry**

Rio Santo also has a large industrial economy. The city hosts five industrial parks, employing over 12,000 people. The largest export is forestry products, and the largest industrial parks are ACME Industrial Park and Raleigh Woods, respectively.

## Education

Public schools in Rio Santo are part of the La Monte County Public Schools system.

* Primary schools: Rio Santo Primary School, East Rio Santo Primary School, Hannigan Primary School, Baroda View Primary School, Alderney Primary School, Hunterdon Primary School, Tribanni Montessori, and Evergreen Primary School
* High Schools: Rio Santo High School, East Rio Santo High School, West Rio Santo High School, Evergreen High School, Essex High School, and Central Park High School

### **Higher Education**

Isaac Newton University, one of the best colleges in the C.U, is located in the city's Eastchester neighborhood. The university is the largest private university in Montverde.

LMCPS operates the La Monte Community College, which has several campuses across the city.

## Government

### **City government**

Rio Santo is governed via a council-manager system. A council of six is elected by a citywide vote and a manager is chosen from the six that get majority vote.

### Provincial **government**

The Province's legislature, governor's office, and appellate court are located in Rio Santo. While Rio Santo is the province's only capital, some administrative offices, including a number of cabinet level departments are based in St. Matthew's.

## Infrastructure

The Metropolitan Health Company operates the La Monte Health Center, serving the city of Rio Santo.

## Transportation

### **Bus**

The La Monte Department of Transportation (LMDOT) provides bus service with twenty-three routes, collectively branded Rio Santo Transit. The system serves the city with recreational areas, shopping centers, educational and medical facilities, and employment hubs. SMTA commuter buses also transport passengers to St. Matthew's.

### **Railway**

The city has six rail stations within its boundaries, three of which are passenger terminals. The remaining three are used as cargo terminals and are located in the industrial districts of the city.

### **Airport**

Franklin D. Roosevelt Municipal Airport serves Rio Santo and the surrounding area. The airport is located in the southeastern corner of the city, and does not handle international flights; the closest international airport is St. Matthew's International Airport (SMX) in St. Matthew's.

### **Water**

The city is home to four ports; two for commercial cruises and two for industrial traffic. These ports handle the largest amount of cargo and passengers than any other port in the Cities Union and handle most of the industrial cargo that passes through Montverde.