Chimaltenango is a department of Guatemala. INE’s 2018 census counted 615,776 people in the department, up from 446,133 in the 2002 census; that is a census count, and population projections for later years differ from it (2026 figures). The department capital is the city of Chimaltenango, whose municipality counted 96,985 people in 2018.
What to Expect
The must-visit destination in Chimaltenango is Iximché, in the municipality of Tecpán Guatemala. Just outside town sit the ruins of Iximche, the ancient capital of the Kaqchikel Maya kingdom and briefly the first capital of Spanish Guatemala in 1524. The Ministry of Culture’s SiCultura listing says the city was founded around 1470 as the capital of the Kaqchikel kingdom, served as the first capital of the Reino de Guatemala from 1524 to 1526, and has more than 170 structures, among them six civic-ceremonial plazas, pyramidal temples, altars and ball courts. CONAP’s tourism page puts it 91 km from Guatemala City (1 hour) on the CA-1: at km 88 you turn left toward Tecpán, and the site is 3 km further on a paved road; it lists opening hours of 08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Sunday. The site museum, per its own SiCultura listing, opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00, at Q5 for Guatemalans and Q50 for foreigners, with free entry for students (read 24 September 2026). More on our Iximché page.
The departmental capital’s Feria Titular honours Nuestra Señora Santa Ana, patron of the town, and Santiago Apóstol. SiCultura says it is celebrated each 26 July and runs for several days, ending on 30 July, with an opening parade, the crowning of the Rumi Boko indigenous queen, sports, the Encuentro de las Candelas, horse parades and concerts. SiCultura also gives 1526 as the year the municipality was founded.
The cost, safety and internet figures in the Key Stats section are our own map data, not official or sourced figures; earlier versions of this text repeated them ($335 and $600 a month, 6/10 safety, 40/100 internet) and also gave an elevation, a drive time to Tecpán and descriptions of local markets and food with no published source. For the homicide data we can source, the Diálogos observatory’s June 2026 report gives the department an interannual homicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people (the 12 months to June 2026) and recorded 7 homicides there in June 2026, 6 of men and 1 of a woman. For detailed cost comparisons across Guatemala, see our cost of living guide. Check the latest exchange rates and gas prices for budgeting.
The attraction and festival cards and the highlights shown elsewhere on this page come from our own map data. For more information about staying safe while exploring, visit our safety guide.
Nearby Departments
Central Highlands: Guatemala | Sacatepequez
Pacific Coast: Escuintla | Suchitepequez
Western Highlands: Quiche | Solola
Explore More Data
- Activities & Things to Do – Explore activities and tours
- Exchange Rates – Today’s exchange rate
- Cost of Living – Compare living costs
- Remittances – Best remittance rates
- Gas Prices – Fuel prices by department
- Canasta Basica – Basic food basket costs
- Weather – Climate and weather data
Sources
- INE, Resultados del XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda 2018 (population by department and municipality, censuses of 1994, 2002 and 2018).
- SiCultura, Iximché, read 24 September 2026.
- SiCultura, Museo del Sitio Arqueológico Iximché, read 24 September 2026.
- CONAP, Parque Nacional Iximché, read 24 September 2026.
- SiCultura, Feria Titular de Chimaltenango, read 21 September 2026.
- Diálogos, Observatorio de la violencia, Informe sobre la violencia homicida en Guatemala, junio 2026.