District · Palmares Canton
# Santiago

Santiago is a district of Costa Rica in Palmares Canton, Alajuela Province. It had an estimated 3,339 people in 2021 on 8 km² (about 419 per km²). 6 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 2 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 3,339 people (2021)
- 8.0 km²
- 2 mapped services
- 1,125 m typical elevation

## How many people live in Santiago?

Santiago had an estimated 3,339 people in 2021 — 8.1% of Palmares Canton, 352nd of 472 districts. There are 1,015 women for every 1,000 men (close to the Palmares Canton figure of 1,006). Spread over 8 km², that is about 419 people per km², 165th of 472 districts.

20.0% of people are children under 15 and 10.9% are 65 or older; the median age is about 34 years (it is 34 across Palmares Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 45 children and older people.
- 0–4 214
- 5–9 228
- 10–14 226
- 15–19 221
- 20–24 263
- 25–29 293
- 30–34 296
- 35–39 263
- 40–44 225
- 45–49 191
- 50–54 192
- 55–59 192
- 60–64 172
- 65–69 134
- 70–74 96
- 75+ 133

Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, population 2021 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO).

## Where is Santiago?

Santiago lies in Palmares Canton, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. It borders 5 other districts: Candelaria, San Isidro, San José, San Rafael and Zaragoza. By area it is the 382nd largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 20.4% of Palmares Canton. The centre of Santiago is about 41 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 10.0216° N, 84.4481° W.

Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO).

## Things to see in and around Santiago

### Nearby, outside Santiago
- Reserva Biologica Madre Verde · nature reserve, La Granja 3.1 km
- El Toledo Coffee Tour · attraction, San Isidro 3.4 km
- Parador fotográfico de Palmares · attraction, Buenos Aires 4.3 km
- Proyecto Abandonado Condominio Castillo Real · ruins, La Granja 4.4 km
- Minas del Aguacate · cave, Desmonte 6.4 km
- Ecomuseo Minas del Aguacate · museum, Desmonte 6.5 km
- San Ramón's Letters · attraction, San Rafael 6.7 km
- Mirador · viewpoint, Escobal 6.9 km
- Monumento al Gran Poeta Ramonense · monument, San Rafael 6.9 km
- El Rincón del Poeta · attraction, San Rafael 7.1 km
- Garabito, Cacique Huetar · monument, San Ramón 7.6 km
- Museo José Figures Ferrer · museum, San Ramón 7.7 km

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed.

## Know before you go: Santiago
- Time zone UTC−6, no daylight saving · America/Costa_Rica
- Currency Colon (CRC)
- Country calling code +506
- Languages Spanish, English
- Plug types Type A, B · 120 V
- Driving side Right
- Postcode format 5 digits (#####)

### Nearest airports
- Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) · San José (Alajuela) 26 km
- Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) · San Jose 35 km

### Nearest railway station

Ojo de Agua (San Rafael), about 25 km from the centre.

### Daylight

Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:16) and shortest in Dec (about 11.5 hours, sunrise around 05:46, sunset around 17:19).

Source: GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03; OurAirports (public domain).

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.

## Villages and localities in Santiago

Open gazetteers list 6 villages, towns and localities in Santiago. The largest with a recorded population: Santiago (2,107).
- Bajo Las Palmas
- La Chola
- La Mina
- Pinos
- Santa Lucía
- Santiago

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features; © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

## Landscape and landmarks of Santiago

Named natural and historic features inside Santiago, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

3 rivers and streams.
- Quebrada Burrogres
- Quebrada Chilamate
- Quebrada Santiago

### Hills and mountains

1 mountain.
- Alto de La Cruz · 1,385 m

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features.

Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate.

## Weather in Santiago and the best time to visit

Using the climate of Palmares Canton, the warmest month is Apr (average 25 °C) and the coolest is Dec (22 °C). About 1,793 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Oct (301 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 | 23 | 38 |
| Feb | 24 | 22 |
| Mar | 25 | 29 |
| Apr | 25 | 76 |
| May | 24 | 220 |
| Jun | 24 | 209 |
| Jul | 23 | 184 |
| Aug | 23 | 198 |
| Sep | 23 | 256 |
| Oct | 23 | 301 |
| Nov | 22 | 188 |
| Dec | 22 | 70 |

Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29.

## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Santiago
| Need | Nearest mapped | Distance | |
| Hospital | Centro Médico Vargas · Zaragoza | 3.1 km | Map |
| Bank | Banco Popular · Palmares | 3.9 km | Map |
| ATM | ATH · Jesús | 8.1 km | Map |
| Petrol pump | Servicentro Metrópoli · Palmares | 3.7 km | Map |
| Hotel | Hospedaje Coffee Mountain · San Isidro | 2.5 km | Map |
| Mall | Centro Comercial La Talanguera · Palmares | 4.1 km | Map |
| School | Escuela Pbro. Venancio de Oña y Martínez · Santiago | 0.4 km | Map |
| College | UNED Palmares · Palmares | 4.1 km | Map |
| Police station | Subdelegación Policial San José Norte · San José | 4.6 km | Map |

Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Straight-line distance from the centre of the division, within 40 km.

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Santiago

Places mapped inside Santiago in open map data, by type.
- Schools 1
- Restaurants 1

Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown.

## Other districts in Palmares Canton
- Buenos Aires
- Candelaria
- Esquipulas
- La Granja
- Palmares
- Zaragoza

## Quick answers
- Where is Santiago? In Palmares Canton, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica
- What is the population of Santiago? 3,339 (2021 estimate)
- What is the median age in Santiago? About 34 years (2021 estimate)
- What is the population density of Santiago? About 419 people per km²
- What borders Santiago? Candelaria, San Isidro, San José, San Rafael and Zaragoza
- What is there to see in Santiago? Reserva Biologica Madre Verde, El Toledo Coffee Tour, Parador fotográfico de Palmares, Proyecto Abandonado Condominio Castillo Real
- What time zone is Santiago in? UTC−6
- What currency is used in Santiago? Colon (CRC)
- What language is spoken in Santiago? Spanish, English (main languages nationally)
- How many villages are in Santiago? 6 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the highest point in Santiago? Alto de La Cruz (1,385 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Santiago? December to April
- Where is the nearest hospital to Santiago? Centro Médico Vargas, about 3.1 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest bank to Santiago? Banco Popular, about 3.9 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest ATM to Santiago? ATH, about 8.1 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest petrol pump to Santiago? Servicentro Metrópoli, about 3.7 km from the centre
- What is the P-code of Santiago? CR20704 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: District
- Area: 7.96 km²
- P-code: CR20704
- Canton: Palmares Canton

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Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/palmares/santiago/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.