San Carlos is a city in the Maldonado Department of southern Uruguay. "San Carlos" is also the name of the municipality to which the city belongs. The municipality includes the following zones: San Carlos, El Tesoro, La Barra, Edén Rock, El Chorro, Manantiales, Balneario Buenos Aires, Punta Piedras, Santa Mónica, , El Edén, Paso de la Cantera, Las Cañas, Carapé, Mataojo, Guardia Vieja, Pago de la Paja, Partido Norte, Partido Oeste, Cañada Bellaca, Corte de la Leña, Punta del Campanera, Puntas de Mataojo, and Laguna José Ignacio.
Geography The city is located on Route 39, south of its intersection with Route 9 and about north of the center of the department capital city of Maldonado. The stream Arroyo San Carlos flows along the east limits of the city and the park and neighbourhood of Parque Medina is situated across it.
History It was founded on October 1763 by the Spanish Governor Pedro Antonio de Cevallos, to discourage the foundation of Portuguese settlements in the region. Its name is originated from that of the King of Spain at the time, Charles III.
It had acquired the status of "Villa" (town) before the Independence of Uruguay, which was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) on 18 December 1929 by the Act of Ley Nº 8.559.
Population In 2023, San Carlos had a population of 30,923. This makes it the second largest city in Maldonado Department after the capital city of Maldonado. According to the Intendencia Departamnetal de Maldonado, the municipality of San Carlos has a population of 27,000.
Year Population 1908 5,014 1963 13,695 1975 16,925 1985 19,877 1996 24,030 2004 24,771 2011 27,471 2023 30,293 Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
Economy It is considered to be the agropecuarian centre of the region.
Places of worship Parish Church of St. Charles Borromeo (Roman Catholic) Parish Church of St. Pius X (Roman Catholic) San Carlos Ward LDS (Mormon)
Notable people Luis Barrios Tassano, lawyer and politician Manuel Basilio Bustamante, interim President Cayetano Alberto Silva, musician Mariano Soler, first Archbishop of Montevideo Francisco Antonino Vidal, President Marta Albertini, actress Leonardo Olivera, military officer Matías Britos, footballer Darío Pérez Brito, physician and politician Óscar de los Santos, politician Ruperto Elichiribehety, navy officer
See also Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
References
External links
INE map of San Carlos and Parque Medina