Montevideo

For other uses, see Montevideo (disambiguation).

Montevideo City of San Felipe and Santiago of Montevideo
Capital city
Montevideo
Aerial view of Centro, Rambla and Barrio Sur Legislative Palace of Uruguay Solís Theatre Obelisk of Montevideo Palacio Salvo Antel Tower Fortaleza del Cerro General Artigas railway station
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Con libertad ni ofendo ni temo With liberty I offend not, I fear not.
Interactive map of Montevideo
Montevideo Location within Uruguay Montevideo Location within South America
Coordinates: 34°54′20″S 56°11′03″W
Country	Uruguay
Department	Montevideo
Established	1726 (1726)
Founder	Bruno Mauricio de Zabala
Government
• Type	Strong mayor
• Intendant	Mario Bergara
Area
• Capital city	201 km2 (77.5 sq mi)
• Metro	1,640 km2 (633 sq mi)
	The department area is 530 square kilometers (200 sq mi) and the conurbated built-up area 350 square kilometers (140 sq mi).
Elevation	43 m (141 ft)
Population  (2023)
• Capital city	1,287,452
• Rank	1st
• Density	6,400/km2 (17,000/sq mi)
• Urban	1,788,170
• Metro	1,947,604
• Department	1,319,108
Demonyms	montevideano (m) montevideana (f) Montevidean (English)
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total	$41.7 billion
• Per capita	$23,500
Time zone	UTC−03:00 (UYT)
Postal code	11#00 & 12#00
Dial plan	(+598) 2XXX XXXX
Vehicle registration	S
HDI (2017)	0.841 – very high
Website	montevideo.gub.uy (in Spanish)

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Montevideo (/ˌmɒntɪvɪˈdeɪoʊ/, US also /-ˈvɪdioʊ/; Spanish: [monteβiˈðeo] ^ⓘ) is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. As of the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,287,452, making up about 36.8% of the country's total population, in an area of 201 square kilometers (78 sq mi). Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata.

A Portuguese garrison was established at the site of modern-day Montevideo in November 1723. The Portuguese garrison was expelled in February 1724 by a Spanish soldier, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst the Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region. There is no official document establishing the foundation of the city, but the "Diario" of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala officially mentions the date of 24 December 1726 as the foundation, corroborated by presential witnesses. The complete independence from Buenos Aires as a real city was not reached until 1 January 1730. It was also under brief British rule in 1807, but eventually the city was retaken by Spanish criollos who defeated the British invasions of the River Plate. Montevideo is the seat of the administrative headquarters of Mercosur and ALADI, Latin America's leading trade blocs, a position that has entailed comparisons to the role of Brussels in Europe.

The 2019 Mercer report on quality of life rated Montevideo first in Latin America, a rank the city has consistently held since 2005. As of 2010, Montevideo was the 19th largest city economy in the continent and 9th highest income earner among major cities. In 2022, it has a projected GDP of $53.9 billion, with a per capita of $30,148. In 2018, it was classified as a beta global city, ranking eighth in Latin America and 84th in the world. Montevideo hosted every match during the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. Described as a "vibrant, eclectic place with a rich cultural life", and "a thriving tech center and entrepreneurial culture".

The city features historic European architecture and is considered one of the cities with the most art deco influence. It is the hub of commerce and higher education in Uruguay as well as its chief port and financial hub, anchoring a metropolitan area with a population of around 2 million.