Curridabat

Curridabat is the eighteenth canton in the province of San José, officially established on 21 August 1929 and inaugurated in 1930. It spans an area of approximately 16 km² (about 15.95 km² in some sources) and sits at an average elevation of around 1,200 meters above sea level, with higher points reaching up to 1,350 m, particularly in Granadilla. Geographically, the canton forms the eastern suburban edge of Costa Rica’s capital, San José, bounded by Montes de Oca to the north, La Unión to the east, and Desamparados and San José itself to the south and west.

As of the 2022 estimate, Curridabat's population has grown to around 71,000 inhabitants, up from approximately 65,000 in 2011. It ranks highly in quality of life with a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.835, placing it among the top performers in the nation. The canton boasts robust infrastructure: well-maintained roads, radial connections like the Florencio del Castillo Highway and Zapote radial, and service through the national interurban rail system with multiple stops. Its economy is service-oriented, with strong residential and commercial development—including shopping centers like Plaza del Sol and Multiplaza Curridabat, numerous high-rise residential projects, and institutional headquarters such as the Registro Nacional and UACA.