Map of Salta
Salta is a first-level division of Argentina. Its largest mapped city is Salta, with about 512,686 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Salta, and the tables list its 10 mapped cities.
- Cities Mapped
- 10
- Largest City
- Salta
- Country
- Argentina
Interactive Map of Salta
About Salta
Salta (Spanish: [ˈsalta]) is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 627,704 according to the 2022 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic center of the Valle de Lerma Metropolitan Area (Spanish: Área Metropolitana del Valle de Lerma, AMVL), which is home to over 50.9% of the population of Salta Province and also includes the municipalities of La Caldera, Vaqueros, Campo Quijano, Rosario de Lerma, Cerrillos, La Merced and San Lorenzo. Salta is the seat of the Capital Department, the most populous department in the province.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Salta (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Salta in Depth
History
In early 1536 the large expedition of Diego de Almagro passed through the plains of Chicoana west of the present-day city in its journey to the lands of Chile. While foraging the expeditionaries came to engage in skirmishes with local tribesmen.
Salta was founded on April 16, 1582, by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma, who intended the settlement to be an outpost between Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires. The origin of the name Salta is a matter of conjecture, with several theories being advanced to explain it.
During the war of independence, the city became a commercial and military strategic point between Peru and the Argentine cities.
Geography
Salta has a subtropical highland climate (Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification), and it is characterized by pleasant weather year-round. Located in the subtropical north, but at an altitude of 1,200 metres, Salta enjoys 4 distinct seasons: summers are warm with frequent thunderstorms, with daytime highs around 26 to 28 °C (78.8 to 82.4 °F) and pleasant, refreshing nights around 15 or 16 °C (59 or 61 °F). Fall brings dry weather, pleasant days at around 22 °C (71.6 °F) and mild nights at around 10 °C (50.0 °F). By winter, the dryness is extreme, with very few rain episodes. Nights are cool at 3 °C (37.4 °F) on average, but daytime heating allows for high temperatures of 19 °C (66.2 °F).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Salta (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Salta: Key Facts
| Population | 594,772 (2022) |
|---|---|
| Established | 16 April 1582 |
Facts from Wikidata Q36307 (CC0).
History of Salta: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Salta, from The Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) in 1497 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| The Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) | 1497–1539 CE |
| The Spanish Empire | 1540–1810 CE |
| Río de la Plata | 1811–1833 CE |
| Argentine Confederation | 1834–1929 CE |
| Argentine Republic | 1930–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Salta
Salta on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Salta
Salta is the capital of the province of Salta, up in the mountains in northern Argentina. Salta is typically visited as a launching point for the nature and small towns in the region, but has its own charms and sights worth seeing too.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Salta (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Salta
10 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salta | 512,686 | Salta | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Yacuíba | 82,803 | Salta | Populated place |
| 3 | San Ramón de la Nueva Orán | 74,059 | Salta | Populated place |
| 4 | Tartagal | 60,819 | Salta | Populated place |
| 5 | General Guemes | 19,828 | Salta | Populated place |
| 6 | Joaquín V. González | 13,376 | Salta | Populated place |
| 7 | Cafayate | 11,785 | Salta | Populated place |
| 8 | Cerrillos | 11,498 | Salta | Populated place |
| 9 | San Antonio de los Cobres | 4,000 | Salta | Populated place |
| 10 | Los Blancos | 1,145 | Salta | Populated place |
Salta: Quick Answers
- Where is Salta?
- Salta is a first-level division of Argentina, in South America. Its mapped cities centre on 24.1018° S, 64.6880° W.
- What is the largest city in Salta?
- Salta is the largest city mapped in Salta, with a metropolitan population of about 512,686.
- How many cities are in Salta?
- YearMaps maps 10 cities and towns in Salta, with a combined metropolitan population of about 791,999. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.