District · Zarcero Canton
# Palmira

Palmira is a district of Costa Rica in Zarcero Canton, Alajuela Province. It had an estimated 1,691 people in 2021 on 31 km² (about 55 per km²). 5 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 4 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 1,691 people (2021)
- 30.7 km²
- 4 mapped services
- 2,066 m typical elevation

## How many people live in Palmira?

Palmira had an estimated 1,691 people in 2021 — 11.7% of Zarcero Canton, 426th of 472 districts. There are 917 women for every 1,000 men (below the Zarcero Canton figure of 950). Spread over 31 km², that is about 55 people per km², 326th of 472 districts.

22.7% of people are children under 15 and 7.9% are 65 or older; the median age is about 30 years (it is 31 across Zarcero Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 44 children and older people.
- 0–4 131
- 5–9 122
- 10–14 131
- 15–19 126
- 20–24 153
- 25–29 201
- 30–34 163
- 35–39 120
- 40–44 97
- 45–49 83
- 50–54 86
- 55–59 79
- 60–64 65
- 65–69 49
- 70–74 36
- 75+ 49

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

## Where is Palmira?

Palmira lies in Zarcero Canton, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. It borders 9 other districts: Brisas, Cirrí Sur, La Palmera, Laguna, San Jerónimo, Sarchí Norte, Tapesco, Toro Amarillo and Zarcero. By area it is the 259th largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 19.5% of Zarcero Canton. The centre of Palmira is about 42 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 10.2080° N, 84.3527° W.

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

## Things to see in and around Palmira

### Nearby, outside Palmira
- Reserva Natural Montaña Sagrada · viewpoint, Quesada 5.7 km
- Wild Path Costa Rica · attraction, Toro Amarillo 6.0 km
- Cerro Volcán Viejo · volcano, Toro Amarillo 6.2 km
- Volcán Porvenir · volcano, Quesada 6.9 km
- Juan Castro Blanco National Park · national park, Aguas Zarcas 7.1 km
- Catarata Tesoro Escondido · waterfall, Toro Amarillo 8.1 km
- Catarata San Vicente · waterfall, Quesada 8.3 km
- Río Agrio falls · attraction, Toro Amarillo 8.9 km
- Pozas · attraction, Toro Amarillo 9.2 km
- Volcán Platanar · volcano, Quesada 10 km
- Catarata Del Toro · attraction, Toro Amarillo 10 km
- Catarata El Paraíso · waterfall, Bolivar 11 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: Palmira
- 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) 29 km
- Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) · San Jose 36 km

### Nearest railway station

Hospital Alajuela (Alajuela), about 27 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 05:46, sunset around 17:18).

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 Palmira

Open gazetteers list 5 villages, towns and localities in Palmira.
- La Catarata
- Máquina
- Palmira
- Picada
- Pueblo Nuevo (Picada)

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

## Landscape and landmarks of Palmira

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

### Water

2 rivers and streams.
- Quebrada Tapezco
- Río Catarata

### Hills and mountains

2 mountains.
- Cerro Barquero · 2,115 m
- Cerro Camacho · 2,033 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 Palmira and the best time to visit

Using the climate of Zarcero Canton, the warmest month is Apr (average 23 °C) and the coolest is Dec (20 °C), after allowing for this place being about 379 m higher than the climate reference point (about 6.5 °C per 1,000 m). 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 | 20 | 38 |
| Feb | 21 | 22 |
| Mar | 22 | 29 |
| Apr | 23 | 76 |
| May | 22 | 220 |
| Jun | 21 | 209 |
| Jul | 21 | 184 |
| Aug | 21 | 198 |
| Sep | 21 | 256 |
| Oct | 20 | 301 |
| Nov | 20 | 188 |
| Dec | 20 | 70 |

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

## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Palmira
| Need | Nearest mapped | Distance | |
| Hospital | Clínica Monteolivo · Zarcero | 5.0 km | Map |
| Bank | Coocique · Zarcero | 5.0 km | Map |
| ATM | Cajero Banco Popular · Sarchí Norte | 13 km | Map |
| Petrol pump | Gasolinera Santa Inés · Zarcero | 4.8 km | Map |
| Hotel | Bosque de Paz · Palmira | 3.9 km | Map |
| Mall | Barberia Blackandwhite · Naranjo | 13 km | Map |
| School | Escuela La Picada · Palmira | 1.1 km | Map |
| College | INA - Unidad Regional Central Occidental · Cirrí Sur | 12 km | Map |
| Police station | Delegación Cantonal de Policía de Zarcero · Zarcero | 4.8 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 Palmira

Places mapped inside Palmira in open map data, by type.
- Hotels 1
- Schools 2
- 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 Zarcero Canton
- Brisas
- Guadalupe
- Laguna
- Tapesco
- Zapote
- Zarcero

## Quick answers
- Where is Palmira? In Zarcero Canton, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica
- What is the population of Palmira? 1,691 (2021 estimate)
- What is the median age in Palmira? About 30 years (2021 estimate)
- What is the population density of Palmira? About 55 people per km²
- What borders Palmira? Brisas, Cirrí Sur, La Palmera, Laguna, San Jerónimo, Sarchí Norte, Tapesco, Toro Amarillo and Zarcero
- What is there to see in Palmira? Reserva Natural Montaña Sagrada, Wild Path Costa Rica, Cerro Volcán Viejo, Volcán Porvenir
- What time zone is Palmira in? UTC−6
- What currency is used in Palmira? Colon (CRC)
- What language is spoken in Palmira? Spanish, English (main languages nationally)
- How many villages are in Palmira? 5 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the highest point in Palmira? Cerro Barquero (2,115 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Palmira? December to April
- Where is the nearest hospital to Palmira? Clínica Monteolivo, about 5.0 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest bank to Palmira? Coocique, about 5.0 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest ATM to Palmira? Cajero Banco Popular, about 13 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest petrol pump to Palmira? Gasolinera Santa Inés, about 4.8 km from the centre
- What is the P-code of Palmira? CR21105 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: District
- Area: 30.7 km²
- P-code: CR21105
- Canton: Zarcero Canton

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