Valparaíso Province

Not to be confused with Valparaíso (historical province).

Valparaíso Province (Spanish: Provincia de Valparaíso) is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso (V). Its capital is the coastal city of Valparaíso (pop. 275,982).^[1]

Valparaíso Province Provincia de Valparaíso
Province
Seal Valparaíso Province Location in Chile
Coordinates: 33°02′S 71°33′W
Country	Chile
Region	Valparaíso
Named after	Valparaíso de Arriba, Spain
Capital	Valparaíso
Communes	List of 7: Valparaíso Viña del Mar Concón Quintero Puchuncaví Casablanca Juan Fernández
Government
• Type	Provincial
• Presidential Provincial Delegate	None
Area [1]
• Total	2,146.6 km2 (828.8 sq mi)
• Rank	4
Population  (2012 Census)[1]
• Total	713,065
• Rank	1
• Density	330/km2 (860/sq mi)
• Urban	639,255
• Rural	12,566
Sex [1]
• Men	315,785
• Women	336,036
Time zone	UTC-4 (CLT[2])
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (CLST[3])
Area code	country 56 + area 32
Website	Governorate of Valparaíso

Administration

As a province, Valparaíso is a second-level administrative division, it was governed by a provincial governor who was appointed by the president. Since 2021, however, it is directly governmed by a regional presidential delegate, also appointed by the President, because one of its communes is the regional capital.

Communes

The province comprises seven communes (Spanish: comunas), each governed by a municipality consisting of an alcalde and municipal council:

• Valparaíso
• Viña del Mar
• Concón
• Quintero
• Puchuncaví
• Casablanca
• Juan Fernández

History

The province was created on 1 January 1976. On March 11, 2010, the communes of Quilpué and Villa Alemana were transferred to Marga Marga Province under Law 20,368 (signed August 25, 2009).

Geography and demography

The province spans a coastal area of 2,146.6 km² (829 sq mi), the fourth largest in the Valparaíso Region. According to the 2002 census, Valparaíso was the most populous province in the region with a population of 651,821. At that time, there were 639,255 people living in urban areas, 12,566 people living in rural areas, 315,785 men and 336,036 women.^[1]