San Francisco de Macorís

Geographic Setting of San Francisco de Macorís

San Francisco de Macorís is a city in the Dominican Republic. It lies at latitude 19.29377 N and longitude 70.25285 W in the northeast portion of the island’s Cibao region.

The city occupies a transitional zone between the Cordillera Septentrional to the north and the fertile Cibao Valley to the south. Hills rise along the northern edge, offering panoramic evening views, while the Jaya River defines the western fringe of the urban area. This placement gives the municipality a mixed relief that ranges from low‑lying riverine zones to elevations approaching 942 metres above sea level at the summit known locally as Loma Quita Espuela.

Geologically, San Francisco de Macorís sits on two major fault systems that cut across Duarte Province. The Septentrional fault runs near the northern towns of Arenoso, Castillo and San Francisco de Macorís, whereas the Cibao fault traverses the southern sector, affecting communities such as Las Guaranas, Castillo and Villa Riva Pimentel. These structures contribute to the region’s varied topography, which includes alluvial fans, deposit hollows, and the alluvial soils of the Camú and Yuna river channels.

Administratively, the city belongs to Duarte Province and is counted among the country’s most populous centers, with a recorded population of 124,763 residents. It observes the America/Santo_Domingo time zone, uses the Dominican peso (DOP) as currency, and the official language is Spanish (es‑DO).

These geographic characteristics—proximity to the mountain range, location within the Cibao Valley, presence of the Jaya River, and the intersecting fault lines—shape the city’s climate, agricultural potential, and urban development patterns. For a detailed historical and cultural context, see the Wikipedia entry on San Francisco de Macorís.