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. Geography. Montes de Oca has an area of km² and a mean elevation of metres. 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: Demographics. For the 2011 census, Montes de Oca had a population of inhabitants. 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. Montes de Oca ranks first  in the Costa Rican cantonal HDI, with 0,946. 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. Transportation. Road transportation. The canton is covered by the following road routes: Rail transportation. The Interurbano Line operated by Incofer goes through this canton.