San José

San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. It is also the capital of the San José Province. San José is located in the center of the country at 9°56′N 84°5′W; it is on a mountain plateau at an elevation of about 1,170 meters (3,839 feet) above sea level. According to the 2000 census, the city had a population of 309,672 people in San José Canton: the latter half of the 20th century was a period of rapid growth for the city, considering that in 1950 its population was a mere 86,900. The metropolitan area of San José exceeds the canton limits and surpasses two million and half inhabitants. San José was a small village of little significance until 1824. In that year, Costa Rica's first elected head of state, liberal Juan Mora Fernández, decided to move the government of Costa Rica from the old Spanish colonial capital of Cartago and make a fresh start with a new city. This was a time of much optimism in the newly independent nation of Central America, of which Costa Rica was at that time a state (see: History of Central America). The new capital of San José grew rapidly, extending into the Central Valley. Because of its late 18th century origin, San José has little of the Spanish colonial architecture common in most other Latin American capitals. On August 9, 1884, San Jose became the first city in Latin America illuminated by electric energy. The University of Costa Rica was established here in 1843, in that time with the name of "University of Santo Tomás". San José also serves as the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The city is served by Juan Santamaría International Airport, 23 km west of downtown, near Alajuela. Because of its elevation San Jose is usually 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit though it can get chilly at night. The rainy season is in the fall. Area Code: