Upala

Upala is the capital city of the canton of Upala in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of Upala covers an area of 245.62 km2 (94.83 sq mi),[1] and has a population of 13,518.[2]

The city lies at an elevation of 48 meters (157 ft) above sea level[1] in the northwest corner of the San Carlos Plain (Llanura de San Carlos) in northern Costa Rica, 76 kilometers (47 mi) southeast of La Cruz, 124 kilometers (77 mi) northwest of Ciudad Quesada, 195 kilometers (121 mi) from the provincial capital city of Alajuela, and 214 kilometers (133 mi) from the national capital city of San José.

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.

History

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

Nearby places of interest

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge: a watery lowland of lush sloughs and marshes, a seasonal lake, and abundant wildlife. The area is a birdwatcher's paradise. (37 kilometers (23 mi) 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 system, Upala has a tropical savanna climate, abbreviated "Aw" on climate maps.[3]

Climate data for Upala
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 30.6
(87.1)		 31.3
(88.3)		 33.1
(91.6)		 34.0
(93.2)		 34.0
(93.2)		 32.8
(91.0)		 31.8
(89.2)		 32.4
(90.3)		 32.5
(90.5)		 32.1
(89.8)		 31.1
(88.0)		 30.6
(87.1)		 32.2
(90.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.4
(75.9)		 24.6
(76.3)		 25.7
(78.3)		 26.4
(79.5)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.8
(80.2)		 26.3
(79.3)		 26.5
(79.7)		 26.5
(79.7)		 26.2
(79.2)		 25.4
(77.7)		 24.7
(76.5)		 25.9
(78.6)
Average low °C (°F) 18.2
(64.8)		 17.9
(64.2)		 18.2
(64.8)		 18.7
(65.7)		 19.8
(67.6)		 20.8
(69.4)		 20.7
(69.3)		 20.7
(69.3)		 20.5
(68.9)		 20.4
(68.7)		 19.7
(67.5)		 18.9
(66.0)		 19.5
(67.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 111.1
(4.37)		 68.0
(2.68)		 38.2
(1.50)		 53.4
(2.10)		 185.1
(7.29)		 325.3
(12.81)		 322.0
(12.68)		 317.9
(12.52)		 281.0
(11.06)		 283.9
(11.18)		 227.9
(8.97)		 185.2
(7.29)		 2,399
(94.45)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 16 10 7 7 15 22 24 23 21 21 19 19 204
Average relative humidity (%) 86.8 82.6 78.0 76.2 82.0 87.9 88.8 88.7 87.2 87.5 88.2 88.1 85.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 155.0 163.9 207.7 186.0 158.1 117.0 89.9 108.5 117.0 130.2 123.0 127.1 1,683.4
Mean daily sunshine hours 5.0 5.8 6.7 6.2 5.1 3.9 2.9 3.5 3.9 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.6
Source: Instituto Meteorologico Nacional (precipitation 1963–2012, temperatures 1990–2013, sun 1984–1995, humidity 1989–2013)[4]

References
  1. Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2001.
  2. Estimates of Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), May 2003.
  3. Climate Summary for Upala
  4. "Descripción del clima: Cantón de Upala" (in Spanish). Instituto Meteorologico Nacional. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.

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