# Alajuela Province, Costa Rica – Population, Cantons & Map > Source: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/ Province · Costa Rica # Alajuela Province Alajuela Province is a province of Costa Rica. It had an estimated **1,042,717 people** in 2021 on 9,773 km² (about 107 per km²). Its main town is Alajuela. It is divided into 16 cantons. 1,447 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 5,693 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools. - 1,042,717people (2021) - 9,773km² - 16cantons - 5,693mapped services ## How many people live in Alajuela Province? Alajuela Province had an estimated **1,042,717 people** in 2021 — 20.2% of Costa Rica, 2nd of 7 provinces. There are 973 women for every 1,000 men (below the Costa Rica figure of 985). Spread over 9,773 km², that is about **107 people per km²**, 4th of 7 provinces. 21.9% of people are children under 15 and 8.9% are 65 or older; the median age is about 32 years (it is 33 across Costa Rica). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 44 children and older people. 0–4 ****74,732** 5–9 ****76,639** 10–14 ****77,291** 15–19 ****77,503** 20–24 ****87,216** 25–29 ****91,760** 30–34 ****93,653** 35–39 ****84,755** 40–44 ****70,978** 45–49 ****60,075** 50–54 ****57,186** 55–59 ****53,587** 60–64 ****45,009** 65–69 ****34,867** 70–74 ****23,368** 75+ ****34,098** Source: [Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, population 2021 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ps-cri). ## Where is Alajuela Province? Alajuela Province lies in [Costa Rica](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/). It borders 4 other provinces: [Guanacaste Province](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/guanacaste/), [Heredia Province](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/heredia/), [Puntarenas Province](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/puntarenas/) and [San José Province](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/san-jose/). By area it is the 3rd largest of 7 provinces in Costa Rica. It covers 19.1% of [Costa Rica](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/). The centre of Alajuela Province is about 71 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 10.4523° N, 84.4662° W. Source: [Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-cri). ## Things to see in and around Alajuela Province OpenStreetMap lists 289 named sights in Alajuela Province: 131 attractions; 31 waterfalls; 25 ruins; 22 viewpoints; 21 volcanos; 19 memorials; 13 monuments; 8 museums; 5 zoos; 5 national parks; 4 nature reserves; 3 hot springs; 1 theme park; 1 cave. - Casa de la Cultura · museum - Ecomuseo Minas del Aguacate · museum - Museo Ferroviario · museum - Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría · museum - Museo José Figures Ferrer · museum - Museo La Carreta · museum - Museo Regional de San Ramón · museum - Museum and Coffee Bar · museum - Bijagua Waterfall · waterfall - Cascada Basalticas · waterfall - Cascada Encantada · waterfall - Cascada Escondida · waterfall - Cascada Magia Blanca · waterfall - Cascada Quebrada Gata · waterfall - Cascada Sabanilla · waterfall - Cascada Templo · waterfall - Cascada de La Paz · waterfall - Cascada de Paso · waterfall - Cascada el Puente · waterfall - Cascada y pozas · waterfall - Cascada Árboles de Caoba · waterfall - Catarata · waterfall - Catarata El Paraíso · waterfall - Catarata Maravillas del Bosque · waterfall - Catarata San Vicente · waterfall - Catarata Tesoro Escondido · waterfall - Catarata de santa clara · waterfall - Catarata don Luis · waterfall - El Canto Waterfall · waterfall - El Salto · waterfall …and 259 more. Source: [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed. ## Know before you go: Alajuela Province - Time zoneUTC−6, no daylight saving · America/Costa_Rica - CurrencyColon (CRC) - Country calling code+506 - LanguagesSpanish, English - Plug typesType A, B · 120 V - Driving sideRight - Postcode format5 digits (#####) ### Nearest airports - La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON) · La Fortuna12 km - Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) · San José (Alajuela)58 km ### Nearest railway station Rondorama (Arenal), about 39 km from the centre. ### Daylight Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:15) and shortest in Dec (about 11.5 hours, sunrise around 05:47, sunset around 17:18). Month Sunrise Sunset Daylight Jan 05:59 17:33 11.6 h Feb 05:58 17:45 11.8 h Mar 05:45 17:49 12.1 h Apr 05:27 17:48 12.3 h May 05:16 17:51 12.6 h Jun 05:15 17:59 12.7 h Jul 05:23 18:04 12.7 h Aug 05:28 17:57 12.5 h Sep 05:27 17:39 12.2 h Oct 05:26 17:20 11.9 h Nov 05:33 17:12 11.7 h Dec 05:47 17:18 11.5 h Source: [GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.geonames.org/); [Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03](https://www.wikidata.org/); [OurAirports (public domain)](https://ourairports.com/data/). Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling. ## Cantons of Alajuela Province Canton Area km² Districts Services [Alajuela Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/alajuela/) 392 14 1,695 [Atenas Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/atenas/) 126 8 236 [Grecia Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/grecia/) 142 7 321 [Guatuso Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/guatuso/) 753 4 116 [Los Chiles Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/los-chiles/) 1,333 4 167 [Naranjo Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/naranjo/) 127 8 172 [Orotina Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/orotina/) 145 5 167 [Palmares Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/palmares/) 39 7 128 [Poás Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/poas/) 74 5 141 [Río Cuarto Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/rio-cuarto/) 255 3 71 [San Carlos Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/san-carlos/) 3,353 13 1,451 [San Mateo Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/san-mateo/) 125 4 54 [San Ramón Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/san-ramon/) 1,022 14 493 [Sarchí Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/sarchi/) 137 5 103 [Upala Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/upala/) 1,592 8 302 [Zarcero Canton](https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/zarcero/) 157 7 76 Source: [Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-cri); [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/); [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/). ## Largest towns in Alajuela Province - Alajuela47,494 - San José31,430 - Quesada27,310 - Desamparados14,448 - Naranjo11,853 - San Ramón10,765 - Río Segundo9,853 - San Juan7,729 - Atenas7,014 - Orotina6,135 - Carrillos4,258 - Upala4,185 - San Rafael3,624 - Zarcero3,559 - Los Chiles3,342 Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/). Populations as recorded in GeoNames, which may be older than the estimates above. ## Landscape and landmarks of Alajuela Province Named natural and historic features inside Alajuela Province, from the GeoNames gazetteer. ### Water 828 rivers and streams; 13 lakes; 1 reservoir or tank; 1 waterfall; 1 dam. - Brazo del Ángel - Cataratas Los Chorros - Caño Aguas Negras - Caño Azul - Caño Betel - Caño Blanco - Caño Blanco - Caño Boca Tapada - Caño Buenos Aires - Caño Caracol - Caño Carcamo - Caño Castilla - Caño Chacalín - Caño Chu - Caño Conchito - Caño Concho - Caño Conchuda - Caño Crucitas - Caño Cubano - Caño Domínguez - Caño El Chile - Caño El Combate - Caño El Fósforo - Caño El Paraíso …and 820 more. ### Coast and islands 7 islands; 3 lagoons. - Isla Cabros - Isla Los Castaños - Isla Los Pobres - Isla Santa Rita - Isla Sábalo - Isla Tres Amigos - Isla del Cura - Laguna Camelias - Laguna La Leona - Laguna Sahíno ### Hills and mountains 50 mountains; 47 hills; 2 valleys; 1 peak. - Cerro Pelón · 2,311 m - Cerro El Siete · 2,247 m - Cerro Barquero · 2,115 m - Bajo La Vieja · 2,081 m - Cerro Palmira · 2,034 m - Cerro Camacho · 2,033 m - Alto Palomo · 1,949 m - Cerro Tomás · 1,925 m - Bajo Pacayal · 1,836 m - Cerro Amigos · 1,806 m - Abejones · 1,790 m - Cerro La Barranca · 1,790 m - Cerro Nubes · 1,731 m - Cerro Estanislao · 1,698 m - Cerro El Tanque · 1,668 m - Cerro El Avión · 1,660 m - Cerro Azahar · 1,610 m - Cerro Montezuma · 1,483 m - Cerro Delicias · 1,475 m - Cordillero Andes · 1,427 m - Cerro Las Leones · 1,418 m - Cerro Jabonal · 1,393 m - Alto de La Cruz · 1,385 m - Cerro Lorito · 1,376 m …and 76 more. ### Forests and nature 10 parks; 4 nature reserves; 2 forest reserves; 2 wildlife reserves; 1 forest; 1 garden; 1 zoo. - Arenal Volcano National Park - Bosque Encantado - Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge - Else Kientzler Botanical Garden - Grecia Forest Reserve - Juan Castro Blanco National Park - Parque Calián Vargas - Parque Central - Parque Central de San Ramón - Parque El Arroyo - Parque Juan Santamaría - Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio - Parque Nacional Volcán Poás - Parque Palmares - Parque Próspero Fernández - Parque del Agricultor - Poas Volcano National Park - Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Bosque Alegre - Refugio de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro - Reserva Forestal El Chayote - Zoo Ave ### History 2 museums. - Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría - Museo Regional de San Ramón ### Getting around 10 airfields; 4 airports; 3 bridges. - Dole Valencia - El Concho Northwest - El Sota - Finca San Ramon - Florencia - John Hull - Juan Santamaría International Airport - La Fortuna Arenal Airport - La Garroba - Los Chiles Airport - Medio Queso - Mrea - Puente La Garita - Puente Mulas - Puente de las Damas - Quebrada Azul - Upala Airport Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/). Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate. ## Weather in Alajuela Province and the best time to visit In Alajuela Province, the warmest month is Apr (average 25 °C) and the coolest is Jan (22 °C). About 1,604 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Oct (283 mm) and the driest Feb (22 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are **December to April**. - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec Month Average °C Rain mm Jan 22 34 Feb 23 22 Mar 24 26 Apr 25 60 May 25 195 Jun 24 183 Jul 24 153 Aug 24 177 Sep 24 233 Oct 23 283 Nov 23 178 Dec 23 60 Source: [NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/). ## Hospitals, banks and other services in Alajuela Province Places mapped inside Alajuela Province in open map data, by type — each number opens the full list with locations. - Hospitals125 - Banks172 - ATMs29 - Petrol pumps139 - Hotels829 - Shopping malls131 - Schools1,076 - Colleges and universities134 - Cinemas12 - Pharmacies192 - Restaurants2,475 - Police stations144 - Dental clinics235 Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/). Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown. ## Quick answers - Where is Alajuela Province?In Costa Rica - What is the population of Alajuela Province?1,042,717 (2021 estimate) - What is the median age in Alajuela Province?About 32 years (2021 estimate) - What is the population density of Alajuela Province?About 107 people per km² - What borders Alajuela Province?Guanacaste Province, Heredia Province, Puntarenas Province and San José Province - What is there to see in Alajuela Province?Aduana Las Cañas, Alajuela, Alajuela "Villa Hermosa", Alejandro Morera Soto - What time zone is Alajuela Province in?UTC−6 - What currency is used in Alajuela Province?Colon (CRC) - What language is spoken in Alajuela Province?Spanish, English (main languages nationally) - What is the largest town in Alajuela Province?Alajuela - How many reservoirs and tanks are in Alajuela Province?1 named in GeoNames - What is the highest point in Alajuela Province?Cerro Pelón (2,311 m, GeoNames elevation model) - What is the best time to visit Alajuela Province?December to April - How many hospitals are in Alajuela Province?125 mapped - How many banks are in Alajuela Province?172 mapped - How many ATMs are in Alajuela Province?29 mapped - How many petrol pumps are in Alajuela Province?139 mapped - What is the P-code of Alajuela Province?CR2 (OCHA common operational dataset)