Quick answerMedellín is a city in Colombia, with 2,427,129 people inside the city limits in 2018. The wider metropolitan area had about 3.7 million people in 2018. It is best known for the Plaza Botero, the Metrocable and the Comuna 13 street art. Its official language is Spanish, and its currency is the Colombian peso.
Medellín is Colombia's second-largest city, with about 2.43 million people in the 2018 census. It stands in a valley in the Andes of north-western Colombia and is known as the City of Eternal Spring.
Key facts
| Country | Colombia |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 2,427,129 (2018) |
| Population (metro) | 3,731,447 (2018) · Medellín metropolitan area (Aburrá Valley) |
| Elevation | 1495 m above sea level |
| Time zone | America/Bogota |
| Language | Spanish |
| Currency | Colombian peso (COP, $) |
| Coordinates | 6.23083° N, 75.59056° W |
Overview
Medellín is the second-largest city of Colombia, in the Aburrá Valley of the Andes in the north-west of the country. The city proper had 2,427,129 residents in the 2018 census, while the metropolitan area held about 3.73 million people, and the city sits 1,495 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Antioquia department.
Medellín was founded in 1616 and grew in the 19th and 20th centuries into Colombia's main industrial city, built on textiles, coffee and flowers. In the 1980s and early 1990s it became known around the world for the violence of the Medellín cartel, but since then it has transformed itself, winning international prizes for urban innovation. Its landmarks include the Plaza Botero, with the sculptures of Fernando Botero, the Metrocable gondolas that link hillside neighbourhoods to the metro, and the Comuna 13 district, famous for its street art and outdoor escalators.
Today Medellín is known for its mild climate - it is called the City of Eternal Spring - for its flowers, above all at the annual Flower Fair, and for its parks, museums and modern metro system, the only one in Colombia. It has become a major destination for visitors and for remote workers, and its transformation from one of the world's most violent cities into a model of urban renewal is widely studied.
What Medellín is known for
- Plaza Botero
- Metrocable
- Comuna 13 street art
- Flower Fair
- City of Eternal Spring
- Urban renewal
Landmarks
- Plaza Botero
- Comuna 13
- Metrocable
- Parque Arví
- Medellín Metropolitan Cathedral
- Pueblito Paisa
- Jardín Botánico
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Medellín?
About 2.43 million people live in Medellín (2,427,129 in the 2018 census). The wider metropolitan area had about 3.73 million people. That makes Medellín the second-largest city in Colombia.
What is Medellín famous for?
Medellín is famous as the City of Eternal Spring, for the Plaza Botero, the Metrocable gondolas and the street art of Comuna 13. It is also known for its Flower Fair and for its transformation from one of the world's most violent cities into a model of urban renewal.
Where is Medellín located?
Medellín is in north-western Colombia, in the Aburrá Valley of the Andes. It is the capital of Antioquia department. Its coordinates are 6.23° N, 75.59° W, and its time zone is Colombia Time (UTC-5).
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Keep exploring
- Colombia — the country Medellín is in
- Bogotá — another city in Colombia
- Cali — another city in Colombia
- Barranquilla — another city in Colombia
- All cities in Colombia
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.