San José de Mayo

San José de Mayo is an Uruguayan city, capital of San José Department. As of 2004, the official population was 36,339.

San José de Mayo is located in the center of the department of San José, on the right bank of the San José River. Located at kilometre 96 of the Montevideo-Colonia railway and at the intersection of Uruguayan Routes 3 and 11, besides being a political-administrative departmental capital, it is an active regional commercial and financial center (linked especially to cattle ranching), and an agro-industrial center for dairy, packing houses, mills, and chemicals.

Founded June 1 1783, during the 19th century it became a commercial and cultural center, known as "Montevideo chico" ("little Montevideo") and was elevated to the category of a city July 12 1856, culminating at the turn of the 20th century with the construction of the Teatro Macció.

People from San José de Mayo are known by the Spanish language demonym "maragato/maragata".