The Uruguayan departments are subdivided into municipalities and, as of 2022, there are 125 municipalities. This second level administrative division system was created by Law No. 18567 of 13 September 2009 and the first municipalities were created (or converted from Local Boards in the previous system) in March 2010. In the municipal elections of 2010 municipal authorities were elected for the first time and they assumed office months later. Each municipality is governed by a local council, made up of 5 members. The chairperson of the local council is known as ''alcalde'' (mayor) and the remaining members are the ''councilors''. The Montevideo, Canelones and Maldonado departments are completely covered by municipalities, while the other departments have areas not included in any municipality.

Description

Establishment of the system and creation of municipalities

The municipalities' system was created by Law No. 18567 of 13 September 2009. The current system is ruled by Law No. 19272 of 18 September 2014. This regulation provided that in settlements with more than 2,000 inhabitants a municipality was to be created including their surrounding territories, as long as it consisted in a social and cultural unit with their own common interests, that justified the creation of this kind of political entity. Settlements with less than 2,000 inhabitants were allowed to establish a municipality if the Departmental Board voted for it after the Intendant proposal, or by popular initiative of at least the 15% of voters in the settlement. Municipalities in departmental seats were only allowed to be created by Departmental Boards after the Intendant's proposal.

Election of authorities and government

The municipalities are governed by a local council made up by five members, whose chairperson is known as ''alcalde'' (mayor) and the other four members are known as ''concejales'' (councilors). They are elected by

direct vote Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...

each municipal elections, at the same time the departmental authorities are elected.

List of municipalities by department

Artigas

Canelones

Cerro Largo

* Aceguá * Arbolito *

Arévalo Arévalo is a municipality in Spain, it is situated in the province of Ávila and is part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. The name came from the Celtic word ''arevalon'', meaning "place near the wall." Regional importance The ...

* Bañado de Medina * Centurión * Cerro de las Cuentas *

Fraile Muerto Fraile Muerto is a town in the Cerro Largo Department of eastern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its ...

Isidoro Noblía Isidoro Noblía is a small town (''villa'') in the Cerro Largo Department of eastern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders w ...

* Las Cañas *

Plácido Rosas Plácido Rosas is a village or populated centre in the Cerro Largo Department of eastern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borde ...

* Quebracho * Ramón Trigo *

Río Branco Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

Tres Islas Tres Islas (Spanish for "Three Islands") is a small pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site north of Cancuen in Petén Department, northern Guatemala. The site has been dated to the Late Preclassic (c.400 BC - 250 AD) and Late Classic (c.600-900 ...

Tupambaé Tupambaé is a village (''pueblo'') in the Cerro Largo Department of eastern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Arge ...

Colonia

* Carmelo *

Colonia Valdense Colonia Valdense is a small city located in southwestern Uruguay, within the Colonia Department. It is home to around 3,200 people. Location It lies along Route 1, west of Montevideo and about west of its intersection with Route 51. History ...

* Florencio Sánchez * Juan L. Lacaze *

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bol ...

* Miguelete *

Nueva Helvecia Nueva Helvecia is a city in Colonia Department of Uruguay. Nueva Helvecia (Spanish for "New Helvetia"; formerly known as Colonia Suiza) is west of Montevideo, the capital and largest city of Uruguay. It is a few kilometres from the coast where th ...

Nueva Palmira Nueva Palmira is a city in Colonia Department in south-western Uruguay. Location It is located on the east bank of Uruguay River, about northwest of the departmental capital Colonia del Sacramento. History A "Pueblo" (village) named "Higuerita ...

* Ombúes de Lavalle * Rosario * Tarariras

Durazno Durazno is the capital city of the department of Durazno in Uruguay. Durazno is characterized by being the most central city of Uruguay. It has a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants. In the past it was the capital of Uruguay; today the ca ...

Sarandí del Yí Sarandí del Yí is a city in the Durazno Department of central Uruguay. Location It is located on the north bank of the river Río Yi, and on the intersection of Route 6 with Route 14, about east of Durazno, the capital of the department. The ...

Villa del Carmen Villa del Carmen or Carmen is a town in Durazno Department of central Uruguay, the third largest populated place in the department, after Durazno and Sarandí del Yí. Location The town is located on the intersection of Routes 14 and 42, about ...

Flores

* Ismael Cortinas

Florida

Casupá Casupá is a town in the Florida Department Florida () is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Florida. It is located in the south of the central part of the country with Durazno Department to its north, the departments of Treinta y Tres a ...

Fray Marcos Fray Marcos is a town in the Florida Department Florida () is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Florida. It is located in the south of the central part of the country with Durazno Department to its north, the departments of Treinta y ...

Sarandí Grande Sarandí Grande is a city in the north of the Florida Department of central Uruguay. Geography It is located on the intersection of Route 5 with Route 42, about from Montevideo, north-northwest of Florida, the capital city of the department, ...

Lavalleja

José Batlle y Ordóñez José Pablo Torcuato Batlle y Ordóñez ( or ; 23 May 1856 in Montevideo, Uruguay – 20 October 1929), nicknamed ''Don Pepe'', was a prominent Uruguayan politician, who served two terms as President of Uruguay for the Colorado Party. He was ...

* José Pedro Varela * Mariscala *

Solís de Mataojo Solís de Mataojo is a small town in the southwest edge of the Lavalleja Department of southern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shar ...

Maldonado

Aiguá Aiguá () is a city of the Maldonado Department in Uruguay. Its name means ''running water'' in the Guaraní language. It is also the name of the municipality to which the city belongs. It includes the following zones: Aiguá, Sauce de Aiguá, Sar ...

* Garzón * Maldonado * Pan de Azúcar *

Piriápolis Piriápolis is a city in the Maldonado Department of Uruguay. It is an important summer resort in the country, predating the larger and better known resort town of Punta del Este. Because it is mainly used as a resort, it has a relatively small per ...

Punta del Este Punta del Este () is a seaside city and peninsula on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Starting as a small town, Punta del Este later became internationally known as a resort for the Latin and North American ...

* San Carlos * Solís Grande

Montevideo

* Municipality A * Municipality B * Municipality C * Municipality CH * Municipality D * Municipality E * Municipality F * Municipality G

Paysandú Paysandú () is the capital of Paysandú Department in western Uruguay. Location The city is located on the banks of the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina. It lies northwest of Montevideo via Route 1 and Route 3, on the junc ...

* Chapicuy * Guichón * Lorenzo Geyres * Piedras Coloradas * Porvenir * Quebracho * Tambores

Río Negro

Nuevo Berlín Nuevo Berlín (New Berlin) is a town in the Río Negro Department of western Uruguay. Geography It is located on the east bank of Uruguay River northwest of the junction of Route 24 with Route 20. South of the town flows the stream Arroyo de la ...

* San Javier * Young

Rivera Rivera () is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. The border with Brazil joins it with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, which is only a street away from it, at the north end of Route 5. Together, they form an urban area of aro ...

* Minas de Corrales * Tranqueras * Vichadero

Rocha

Castillos Castillos is a small city in the Rocha Department of southeastern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to ...

Chuy Chuy () is a city in the extreme east of Uruguay, in the Rocha Department, northeast of Montevideo. It lies on the border with Brazil, separated from its Brazilian sister town of Chuí only by a shared avenue that serves as the border, and by th ...

La Paloma "La Paloma", "The Dove" in English, is a popular Spanish song that has been produced and reinterpreted in diverse cultures, settings, arrangements, and recordings over the last 140 years. The song was written by the Spanish Basque composer Seb ...

Lascano Lascano is a small town in the Rocha Department of southeastern Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its ...

Salto

* Belén * Colonia Lavalleja * Mataojo * Rincón de Valentín * San Antonio *

Villa Constitución Villa Constitución is a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and the head town of the Constitución Department. It is located on the south-western banks of the Paraná River between the courses of the Arroyo Pavón and the Arroyo del M ...

San José

Ciudad del Plata Ciudad del Plata is a city in San José Department of Uruguay. Location The city is bounded by the Santa Lucía River to the east and north, and by the Río de la Plata to the south. Spanning the 23rd to the 39th km of the Route 1 The following ...

* Ecilda Paullier * Libertad * Rodríguez

Soriano

* Cardona * Dolores *

José Enrique Rodó José Enrique Camilo Rodó Piñeyro (15 July 1871 – 1 May 1917) was a Uruguayan essayist. He cultivated an epistolary relationship with important Hispanic thinkers of that time, Leopoldo Alas (Clarín) in Spain, José de la Riva-Agüero in P ...

* Palmitas

Tacuarembó

* Ansina *

Paso de los Toros Paso de los Toros (''Bulls' Pass'') is a city of the Tacuarembó Department in Uruguay. History The Midland Uruguay Railway began operation in 1889 with a line that ran between Paso de los Toros and Salto. On 17 July 1903, the group of houses ...

San Gregorio de Polanco San Gregorio de Polanco is a small city in the Tacuarembó Department of northern-central Uruguay. Geography The city is located on a peninsula on the north shore of the artificial Rincón del Bonete Lake and along Route 43, about south of the ...

Treinta y Tres Treinta y Tres () is the capital city of the Treinta y Tres Department in eastern Uruguay. Location The city is located on Route 8, on the north banks of Olimar Grande River. The city is almost surrounded by a populated rural area, a zone of ...

Cerro Chato Cerro Chato (, ''Plain Hill'') is a town in central Uruguay that is divided in three parts belonging to Durazno Department, Florida Department, and Treinta y Tres Department. Location The town is located along Route 7, northeast by road from V ...

* Enrique Martínez * Rincón *

Santa Clara de Olimar Santa Clara de Olimar is a small town in Treinta y Tres Department in eastern Uruguay. Geography The town is located on the border with Cerro Largo Department, on Kilometre Zero#Uruguay, Km. 282 of Route 7 (Uruguay), Route 7, about northeast of ...

* Vergara * Villa Sara

References

External links

Ley Nº 18.644 del 12 de febrero de 2010

Ley Nº 18.653 del 15 de marzo de 2010

Listado y ubicación de los Municipios en Uruguay - Oficina de Planeamiento y Presupuesto

Alcaldes y alcaldesas asumen en los 125 Municipios de Uruguay - Elecciones 2020

Mapa de los municipios de Montevideo

El Observador: Recorrido por las alcaldías del Departamento de Montevideo

Corte Electoral- Resultados de las elecciones generales-locales 2010
{{Uruguay topics Subdivisions of Uruguay Uruguay, Departments Municipalities, Uruguay Uruguay geography-related lists Uruguay