San Mateo is the capital city of the canton of San Mateo in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of San Mateo covers an area of 64.89 km²,[1] and has a population of 2,678.[2]
The city lies at an elevation of 254 meters above sea level[1] in coastal lowlands near the central Pacific coast. It is 31 kilometers east of the port of Caldera, 44 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela and 53 kilometers from the national capital city of San Jose.