| Official Name: | Chiclayo |
| Other Name: | Santa María de los Valles de Chiclayo |
| Nickname: | City of Friendship |
| Pushpin Map: | Peru#South America#Earth |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Peru##Location within South America##Location within Earth |
| Coordinates: | -6.763°N -79.8366°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Lambayeque |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Chiclayo |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Chiclayo |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 18 April 1835 |
| Government Type: | Mayor–council government |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Janet Cubas Carranza (2013-2026) |
| Area Total Km2: | 174.46 |
| Elevation M: | 27 |
| Population Total: | 609,400 |
| Population As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Est: | 600440 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2015 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Density Urban Km2: | 5192 |
| Population Metro: | 812,548 |
| Postal Code Type: | UBIGEO |
| Postal Code: | 14000-14013 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 74 |
| Website: | www.gobiernochiclayo.gob.pe |
| Timezone: | PET |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Population Demonym: | Chiclayano |
| Population Rank: | 4th |
| Founder: | Felipe Santiago Salaverry |
Chiclayo (pronounced as /es/; Mochica: Cɥiclaiæp) is the principal city and capital of the Lambayeque region and Chiclayo Province in northern Peru. It is located 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) from the Pacific coast, 208 kilometers from the city of Trujillo and 770 kilometers (480 m) from the country's capital, Lima. It was founded under the name of "Santa María de los Valles de Chiclayo".
The city was originally founded by Spanish explorers as "Santa María de los Valles de Chiclayo" in the 16th century, acting as a small town of passage and rest of travelers. It was declared an official city on 15 April 1835 by president Felipe Santiago Salaverry. He named Chiclayo "the Heroic City" to recognize the courage of its citizens in the fight for independence, a title it still holds. Other nicknames for Chiclayo include "The Capital of Friendship" and the "Pearl of the North", due to its kind and friendly nature of its people.
Chiclayo is Peru's fourth-largest city, after Lima, Arequipa, and Trujillo, with a population of 738,000 as of 2011.[2] The Lambayeque region is the fourth most populous metropolitan area of Peru, with a population of 972,713 in 2009.[3] The city is divided into three urban districts, Chiclayo, La Victoria, and José Leonardo Ortiz. The Chiclayo metropolitan area comprises 12 districts. It is the second most populous city in Northern Peru, after its city rival, Trujillo. The city was founded near an important prehistoric archaeological site, the Northern Wari ruins, which constitute the remains of a city from the 7th to 12th century of the Wari Empire. The city was also once part of the Moche culture, which dominated Northern Peru 100 to 700 AD. The Lord of Sipán was the ruler of the Moche and the Sipán mummies are the most popular tourist attraction of city of Lambayeque and Chiclayo, with most tourists arriving from Chiclayo. The Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum in Lambayeque houses thousands of Moche artifacts.
Many different historical accounts tell of the naming of Chiclayo. Some attribute it to an indigenous man known as "chiclayoc" or "chiclayep" who transported plaster between the ancient cities of Zaña, Lambayeque and Morrope.
Another version claims that around the time that the city was founded, the area was home to a green-colored fruit called chiclayep or chiclayop, which in the Mochican language means "green that hangs". In some towns in the highlands of Cajamarca, squashes are known as chiclayos, evidence that this fruit is the origin of the city's name.
Another source indicates that the word is a translation from the extinct Moche language and is derived from the word Cheqta which means "half" and yoc which means "property of".
Others say the Mochican language had words similar to the name, such as Chiclayap or Chekliayok, which means "place where there are green branches".[4]
The coat of arms summarizes important features of the province, such as the one dedicated to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, represented in light blue background, which is a Catholic town, represented on the cross, but, also see other items related to the history, geography and landscape.[5]
The Moche civilization began between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, occupying a territory that spanned much of what is now the northern coast of Peru, encompassing what is today the coastal area of the departments of Ancash, Lambayeque and La Libertad. This civilization developed a broad knowledge of hydraulic engineering: its people constructed canals to create an irrigation system in order to support agriculture. They produced surpluses, which supported population density and a strong economy for development. The culture was characterized by intensive use of copper in the manufacture of ornamental objects, tools and weapons. The Moche civilization was one of the largest and most influential in Peru, and ruins and archeological sites of the Moche, especially the Lord of Sipán, became large tourist destinations.
During the Moche times, Pampa Grande, near Chiclayo, was a major regional capital.
The Mochicans produced ceramics with elaborate designs, representing religious themes, humans, animals, and scenes of ceremonies and myths reflecting their perception of the world. They were famous for huaco-portraits, which are preserved in museums around the country, highlighting amazing expressiveness, perfection, and realism. The civilization disappeared as a result of disasters caused by El Niño.[4]
See main article: Sican culture. The Sican culture (or Lambayeque culture) existed between 700 and 1375AD and occupied the territory that is now the department of Lambayeque, including present-day Chiclayo.
This culture formed towards the end of the Moche civilization and assimilated much of the Moche knowledge and cultural traditions. At its peak, (900-1100), it extended over almost the entire Peruvian coast. The Sican excelled in architecture, jewelry and navigation. A thirty-year drought around the year 1020 hastened the fall of this civilization, along with multiple El Niño disasters .
Soon after, the territories of the Sican Culture were controlled by the Chimu Empire, which would absorb the goldsmithing techniques of the Sicán in the handling of gold and silver, integrating its population into this kingdom. Finally, the Chimu would be conquered by the Inca Pachacutec, in the Inca expansion to the north, integrating the region into the Chinchaysuyo of the Inca empire until the Spanish conquest by Francisco Pizarro.
In the early 16th century, Chiclayo was inhabited by two ethnic groups; the Cinto and Collique. The chieftains of these ethnic groups donated part of their land for the construction of a Franciscan convent. This section of land was approved by the royal decree of 17 September 1585. Thus, with the advocation of Saint Maria of Chiclayo and under the direction of Father Fray Antonio of the Concepción, a church and a Franciscan convent were erected at Chiclayo. At the time of construction of these Spanish-built edifices, the city of Chiclayo was founded. Unlike other major Peruvian colonial cities such as Lima, Piura, Trujillo, or Arequipa, Chiclayo was inhabited by a largely indigenous population rather than Spanish colonizers.
During his expedition, Francisco Pizarro passed through the region of Chiclayo, on his last expedition on his way to Cajamarca, reaching Zaña. At this place the road forked in two, one to the south and the other to Cajamarca, taking the latter in order to meet Incan emperor, Atahualpa, despite the fact that some members of the expedition to Peru suggested that he continue south to what is now Arequipa.
The town was part of the Intendancy of Trujillo that came to have nine districts that were Trujillo, Lambayeque, Piura, Cajamarca, Huamachuco, Chota, Moyobamba, Chachapoyas, Jaén and Maynas, the latter party previously made up the departments of what is now known as (Department of San Martín, Ucayali, Loreto) being the Intendancy of Trujillo the largest in the Viceroyalty of Peru, that is, almost all of the north of present-day Peru; its first intendant was Fernando Saavedra from 1784 to 1791. He was followed by Vicente Gil de Taboada (1791-1805 and 1810-1820), Felice del Risco y Torres (provisional) (1805-1810) and the Marquis of Torre Tagle (1820), who led the independence of the Intendancy.
During the Peruvian War of Independence, Chiclayo supported General José de San Martín's liberating army with soldiers, weapons, horses, and other resources, under the supervision of the most progressive creole, José Leonardo Ortiz, and Juan Manuel Iturregui, Pascual Saco Oliveros and other Lambayecan patriots.
After independence, Chiclayo was still a small village. On 15 April 1835, Chiclayo was proclaimed a city by then-president Felipe Santiago Salaverry, who declared it a "Heroic City" in recognition of the services its people rendered in the War of Independence. The next day, the Chiclayo Province was organized, with Chiclayo designated as its capital and then, capital of the Department of Lambayeque. In 1827, Chiclayo was elevated to the level of villa.
Today, Chiclayo is one of the most important Peruvian cities, being one of the financial and commercial capital of Northern Peru. Its strategic geographic location makes it a rail, communications, and automotive hub. Modern touches include large supermarkets, banking chains, warehouses, hospitals, clinics, and galleries.[6] The planned project, Tren de la Costa, is planned to connect the city of Sullana to Ica, which would include Chiclayo as a station. Numerous projects are being planned to improve the city.
Chiclayo is also known as the "City of Friendship" and Perla del Norte ("Pearl of the North") of Perú, for its kind nature of the people.
In Chiclayo, the mayor is the head of government. The mayor is democratically elected for a period of four years. Each district also has a mayor, under the supervision of the mayor of Chiclayo. They are responsible for coordinating government administrative action in their district. the current mayor of Chiclayo is Janet Cubas Carranza, who was elected in 2023 and replaced Marco Gasco Arrobas.
| 1993–1995 | Arturo Castillo Chirinos | AP-FREDEMO | |
| 1996–1998 | Miguel Angel Bartra Grosso | AP-FREDEMO | |
| 1999–2002 | Miguel Angel Bartra Grosso | Adelante Chiclayo | |
| 2003–2006 | Arturo Castillo Chirinos | AP-FREDEMO | |
| 2007–2011 | Roberto Torres Gonzáles | Todos por Lambayeque-Manos Limpias | |
| 2011–2015 | Roberto Torres Gonzáles | Movimiento Regional de las Manos Limpias | |
| 2015–2018 | David Cornejo Chinguel | Alianza para el progreso | |
| 2019–2022 | Marco Gasco Arrobas | Podemos Perú |
Central Chiclayo comprises three districts:[8] Chiclayo, José Leonardo Ortiz, and La Victoria. Peripheral to the central city are three other districts: Pimentel, Pomalca, and Reque. Districts are subdivided into housing developments. The total land mass is 252.39 km2.
Adding Pimentel, Pomalca, and Reque to the City of Chiclayo was proposed by a 1992 urban development plan called "Chiclayo 2020". The program was superseded in 2016 by the Plan de Acondicionamiento Territorial (PAT) and Plan de Desarrollo Urbano (PDU).[9]
See main article: Chiclayo metropolitan area. Chiclayo is part of the metropolitan area of Chiclayo-Lambayeque. The metropolitan area comprises the six districts of Chiclayo listed above, and six others: Lambayeque, Santa Rosa, Puerto Eten, Eten City, Monsefú, and Reque. Sixty percent of the metropolitan area's population is concentrated in the six districts of Chiclayo[10] The metropolitan area comprises central Chiclayo and adjacent areas, including the provincial capital of Lambayeque, some of which serve as bedroom communities and supply goods to Chiclayo.[10]
Chiclayo is located 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) from the Pacific Ocean, 208 kilometers from the city of Trujillo and 770 kilometers (480 miles) from the capital and largest city of Peru, Lima. It is located at an altitude of 27 meters (89 feet) above sea level. Much like Trujillo, Chiclayo has great surfing conditions, with Pimentel being the city's most popular beach.
Chiclayo has a warm and very dry desert climate with the sun shining all year around. Since the city of Chiclayo is located in a tropical zone near the Equator, the weather should be hot, humid, and rainy. However, it mostly resembles a subtropical climate, being comfortable and dry. This is due to the strong winds called "cyclones" that lower temperature to a moderate climate for most of the year except in the summer months where the temperature rises, so summer is often spent in resorts like Puerto Eten and Pimentel. In the summer months (December to May) the temperature is hot from 27 °C to 30 °C during the day and between 19 °C to 21 °C at night, reaching peaks of 31 °C to 33 °C during the day and between 22 °C to 23 °C at night between February and March. which makes it an ideal city to spend the summer in its resorts of Puerto Eten and Pimentel; which makes it different from the rest of the central coast of Peru since it has a longer (6 months) and hotter summer with muggy tropical nights and making beach days more pleasant by counteracting the daytime heat the cold water typical of the Peruvian sea. The winter from July to September, therefore, is much milder, cooler and milder than the central coast of the country, with more sunny days and higher daytime temperatures between 21 °C to 24 °C and windy but less humid nights, with almost the complete absence of the typical drizzle or garúa of Trujillo, Chimbote or Lima. Periodically, every 7, 10 or 15 years, there are high temperatures during the summer that can exceed 35 °C due to the El Niño phenomenon, registering regular rains and extreme increase in river water. During the El Niño phenomenon of 1998, in the month of February, 100 mm of rain per day were recorded, caused by the most powerful storms ever recorded in this city.
According to the Census of Population and Housing undertaken in 2007, 574,408 people inhabit the area within Chiclayo's city limits or the six municipalities. The metropolitan area has a population of 930,824; it includes other nearby cities like Monsefú and Lambayeque in a ten-minute radius by paved highway. Under the thirty-minute range are, in order of hierarchy, Ferreñafe, Santa Rosa, Eten, Illimo and Tuman. Chiclayo is at the center of the Chancay River delta, in a fertile valley. The city is the fourth largest in Peru, after Lima, Arequipa, and Trujillo.
| Municipalities of the city | Area km2 | Population (census 2007) | Households (2007) | Density (hab/km2) | Elevation masl | Distance from main square (km) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiclayo center | 50.35 | 260,948* | 60,325 | 5,182.7 | 27 | 0 km | |
| José Leonardo Ortiz | 28.22 | 167,717* | 34,641 | 5,943.2 | 28 | 1.5 km | |
| La Victoria | 29.36 | 77,699* | 16,447 | 2,646.4 | 23 | 2.4 km | |
| Pomalca | 80.35 | 23,092* | 5,802 | 287.39 | 29 | 7 km | |
| Reque | 47.03 | 12,606* | 3,664 | 268.04 | 21 | 8 km | |
| Pimentel | 66.53 | 32,346* | 9,301 | 486.2 | 4 | 11.9 km | |
| Total | 301.84 km2 | 574,408* | 130,180 | 1,903.02 | — | — | |
| *Data from the census taken by the INEI[11] | |||||||
According to the planning director of Chiclayo, by 2020 the San Jose district belonging to the Lambayeque Province will be completely integrated with the city of Chiclayo. The district has a population 12,156 inhabitants. Most of the district is conurbanized with the rest of Chiclayo.
The following is a list of the universities located in Chiclayo:
note: Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University is not in Chiclayo but in near Lambayeque city, 11km (07miles) distance.
Chiclayo is known for having one of the best museums in Peru, with its most famous being the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum, which is located in the city of Lambayeque, which is part of the Chiclayo metropolitan area. Other museums in Chiclayo are the Huaca Rajada, similar to the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum, and the Hans Heinrich Bruning National Museum.
The following is a list of museums in the area:
Chiclayo and the Department of Lambayeque's most popular dishes are the Chiclayo Arroz con pato, rice and duck, and abrito a la norteña. Arroz con pato, rice with duck, is as the name suggests that is also spicy and acidic, containing duck macerated in garlic and vinegar, and peppers. Abrito a la norteña is served with cooked Yucca, lamb, rice and beans, with a variant from Piura containing Tamale instead of yucca. Loche de Lambayque, also known as pumpkin loche, is a type of fruit common in Chiclayo, dating back to pre-Hispanic times.
Association football, or soccer, is the most popular sport in Chiclayo. Chiclayos most popular football club is Juan Aurich of the Peruvian Segunda División, who were champions of the Peruvian Primera División in 2011. Other football clubs in Chiclayo are FC Carlos Stein and Pirata FC. Chiclayos main and largest stadium is Estadio Elías Aguirre, which has a capacity of 24,500 and hosted the 2004 Copa América and 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, which was hosted in Peru. Other popular sports in Chiclayo is Volleyball, Basketball and Rugby.
The department of Lambayeque is one of the most touristic in the country. It was home to the ancient civilization of the Moche who created some of the most ingenious monuments and works of art known to ancient Peru. In 1987, royal tombs of ancient Moche rulers were excavated. The artifacts found in the tomb were transferred to the Royal Tomb of Sipan Museum in the city of Lambayeque. Also there are the Brunning Museum and the Sicán Museum in Ferreñafe. These museums display the magnificent ancient artwork produced by the ancient Moche. The pyramids of Túcume are also in this area. In 2007, more than 306,000 tourists visited the museums of Lambayeque. There are more than 20 adobe pyramids all of which are 40m (130feet) in height and are in an abundance of vegetation and wildlife. Also in the area is the Chaparrí Ecological Reserve which has abundant biodiversity.The department of Lambayeque boasts some of the best cuisine in Peru. The most popular dish in this area is Arroz con Pato (marinated duck with green rice). The city of Chiclayo, the capital of the department, is the second largest in the Peruvian north and has a vibrant nightlife.
FAP Captain José Abelardo Quiñones González International Airport (IATA: CIX, ICAO: SPHI) is the main airport serving Chiclayo and the surrounding metropolitan area. It is run by ADP, a private airport operator that operates various airports in northern Peru. The airport hosts domestic airlines, international airlines flights, and fuel supply services. The terminal has a runway of 2520mby45mm (8,270feetby148feetm).
Four airlines serve Chiclayo's international airport; JetSmart Perú, LATAM Perú and Star Perú offering domestic service to Lima. In July 2016, Copa Airlines began direct flights between Chiclayo and its hub in Panama, making it the first ever international flight to arrive to the city. US-based Spirit Airlines has expressed interest in serving Chiclayo from its hub in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Star Perú opened destinations to Tarapoto and Iquitos in December of 2023.
Chiclayo, because of its location, serves as a point of interconnection for various cities of the Northeast of the country and has various bus companies which service cities such as Lima, Trujillo, Piura, Cajamarca, Chota, Cutervo, Bagua, Jaén, Chachapoyas, and Tumbes.
To adequately accommodate the transportation demand, the city is served by two different land terminals, one located towards the southern end of the city and another at the northern end on the Panamerican Highway. A substantial number of bus companies have their own terminals, many of them located near the downtown of the city and in nearby areas. These interprovincial buses contribute to the congestion experienced in downtown Chiclayo. To try to solve the problem the city government has proposed a plan to build a central station in the city.
Regionally, there are various different public services such as combis, cousters, colectivos, which provide services within the districts and provinces of the department of Lambayeque. There are also an overwhelming number of private taxis which incessantly honk their horns throughout the downtown area of the city, causing a great deal of unwanted noise pollution.
Chiclayo is twinned with:
