| Official Name: | Canelones |
| Settlement Type: | Capital city & Municipality |
| Pushpin Map: | Uruguay |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Uruguay |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Department |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Canelones |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1782 |
| Founder: | Juan Miguel de Laguna |
| Population Total: | 19865 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 Census |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Demonym |
| Population Blank1: | canario (m) / canaria (f) |
| Timezone: | UTC -3 |
| Coordinates: | -34.5167°N -56.2833°W |
| Elevation M: | 29 |
| Blank Name: | Climate |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 90000 |
| Area Code Type: | Dial plan |
| Area Code: | +598 433 (+5 digits) |
Canelones (pronounced as /es/) is the capital of the department of Canelones in Uruguay. Its name is derived from a species of cinnamon, which is called "canelón", growing along the banks of the homonymous river.[1] Since 2010, the city is also the seat of the municipality of Canelones.
The city is located on Route 5 about North of Montevideo and on its intersection with Route 64. It lies on the west bank of the river Arroyo Canelón Chico.
It was founded on 24 April 1783 under the name "Villa Guadalupe". It became capital of one of the nine earlier Departments of the Republic. The railroad arrived here in 1874, while in 1908 National Route 5 from Montevideo was inaugurated. On 23 March 1916, it was renamed to "Canelones" and its status was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) by the Act of Ley Nº 5.400.
According to the 2011 census, Canelones had a population of 19,865.[2] In 2010, the Intendencia de Canelones had recorded a population of 25,961 for the municipality during the elections. While Canelones is the capital of the department of the same name, it has a considerably smaller population compared with two other cities in the department, Ciudad de la Costa and Las Piedras.
| Year | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 8,523 | |
| 1963 | 14,028 | |
| 1975 | 15,988 | |
| 1985 | 17,323 | |
| 1996 | 19,388 | |
| 2004 | 19,631 | |
| 2011 | 19,865 | |
| 2017 | 32,743 |
The city and the department have numerous small to large vineyards and wineries. In 1987 the cold-storage facility "Frigorífico Canelones" was founded, which ever since became the principal industry of the city.
The civil aviation agency of the country, National Civil Aviation and Aviation Infrastructure Direction (DINACIA), has its headquarters in Canelones.[4]
