Alajuela is a
province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering
Nicaragua to the north. It also borders the provinces of
Heredia to the east,
San José to the south,
Puntarenas to the southwest and
Guanacaste to the west. As of 2011, the province had a population of 885,571. Alajuela is composed of 15
cantons, which are divided into 111 districts. It covers an area of 9,757.53 square kilometers.