| San Fernando | |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
| Settlement Type: | City and Commune |
| Image Alt: | San Fernando's central plaza. |
| Flag Alt: | Flag |
| Shield Alt: | Coat of arms |
| Map Alt: | Map of San Fernando commune in O'Higgins Region |
| Pushpin Map: | Chile |
| Pushpin Map Narrow: | yes |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location in Chile |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Chile |
| Coor Pinpoint: | city |
| Coordinates: | -34.5833°N -129°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Chile |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | O'Higgins |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Colchagua |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1742 |
| Founder: | José Antonio Manso de Velasco |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Municipality |
| Leader Party: | Independent |
| Leader Title: | mayor |
| Leader Name: | Pablo Silva Pérez |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 2441.3 |
| Elevation M: | 89 |
| Population Total: | 73,973 |
| Population As Of: | 2017 Census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Sanfernandino/a |
| Demographics Type1: | Sex |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Men |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 36,077 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Women |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 37,896 |
| Timezone: | CLT[3] |
| Utc Offset: | -4 |
| Timezone Dst: | CLST[4] |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -3 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 3070000 |
| Area Code: | +56 72 |
| Website: | Official website |
San Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, in central Chile, and the second most populated urban center of the O'Higgins Region. Located close to the Tinguiririca River (a tributary of the Rapel) in a fertile valley, San Fernando sits 339 m (1,112 feet) above sea level. Founded in 1742, it became the provincial capital in 1840.
San Fernando is famous for its rodeos, thanks to its location at the heart of the country. The surrounding area yields wheat, forage crops, rice, legumes and grapes. There is also a brand of Chilean wine called San Fernando.Both the Pan-American Highway and Chile's main longitudinal railroad run through San Fernando.
San Fernando is located at the northern tip of Chile's Colchagua Valley. This region is popularly known as the heart of chilean agriculture. Here you can find the "wine route" which will take visitors on a journey from San Fernando to Santa Cruz, visiting some of Chile's most traditional vineyards.
Some major attractions in and around San Fernando include Casa Silva, a hotel, vineyard, and winery. Hacienda Los Lingues, a traditional chilean-style, colonial home of an hacienda "patrón" or owner that has been turned into a hotel and restaurant. The hacienda offers horseback riding adventures into the precordillera of the Andes.
Most major producers of fresh fruit for export are located in and around San Fernando. These include: Frusan, Unifruti, and Agricola Panagro. Within the orchards and farms of the region one can find almost every type of fresh produce; from citrus to premium quality fresh cherries.
San Fernando is also the point of departure to begin a trip to "Las Termas Del Flaco" (The thermal baths of Flaco). Flaco can be reached by travelling east of ruta 5 on the road to Puente Negro. "Las Termas" baths are open from mid-December to April and are located in an area famous for its large populations of Tricahues, a type of native parrot,[5] and fossilized dinosaur footprints.
According to the 2017 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Fernando spans an area of 2441.3sqkm and has 73,973 inhabitants (36,077 men and 37,896 women). The population grew by 16.1% (11,881 persons) between the 2002 and 2017 censuses.[2]
As a commune, San Fernando is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by a mayor who is democratically elected every four years. The current administration is run by Pablo Silva Pérez (right-wing independent) who was elected in the 2021 Chilean municipal elections.