Upala is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of the Upala canton, in the

Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela (canton), Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of ...

province of

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

History

Upala was granted the title of "ciudad" (city) by a law of May 4, 1970.

Geography

Upala has an area of km² and an elevation of metres. It is in the northwest corner of the San Carlos Plain (Llanura de San Carlos) in northern Costa Rica, southeast of La Cruz, northwest of

Ciudad Quesada Quesada is a district of the San Carlos canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. It is the head city of the canton of San Carlos. Although Ciudad Quesada is the official name, it is commonly referred to by the area name of San Carlos. Ciu ...

, from the provincial capital city of

, and from the national capital city of San José.

Demographics

For the 2011 census, Upala had a population of inhabitants.

Transportation

Road transportation

The district is covered by the following road routes: * CR RNP 4

National Route 4 * CR RNP 6

National Route 6 * CR RNS 138

National Route 138 * CR RNS 164

National Route 164 * CR RNT 728

National Route 728 * CR RNT 729

National Route 729 * CR RNT 730

National Route 730 * CR RNT 731

National Route 731

Economy

Upala is a supply center for cattle ranchers and rice growers in the area. A hospital, bank, medical clinic, pharmacy and gas station are here. There is a busy commercial marketplace in the town center where vendors sell fruits, vegetables and a wide array of other home-grown products. Several small restaurants share the market area, and there are other restaurants and a few places to stay in the town.

Nearby places of interest

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is a Wildlife refuge, part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, in the northern part of Costa Rica twenty kilometers south of Los Chiles near the border with Nicaragua in the Alajuela province. The refuge is a ...

: a watery lowland of lush sloughs and marshes, a seasonal lake, and abundant wildlife. The area is a birdwatcher's paradise. ( east of Upala via Highway 4 to Colonia Puntarenas and Highway 138 to Caño Negro)

Climate

This area typically has a pronounced dry season. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Upala has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

, abbreviated "Aw" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Upala
/ref>

References

Districts of Alajuela Province Populated places in Alajuela Province {{Alajuela-geo-stub