San Pedro Sula - Administrative Divisions

Administrative Divisions

San Pedro Sula, as most cities built under the Spanish colonial period, is divided in quadrants. Avenues in the city run from North to South and Streets run from East to West. First Street and First Avenue mark the "center of the city" and effectively divide it into four major quadrants NW, NE, SW and SE. The technical center of the city is located where both First Street and Avenue meet, but the Central Park on First Street and Third Avenue is considered the true center. Like most other Latin American cities, the Cathedral and City Hall are located in front of the Central Park.

Even though most of the population is located in the Eastern part of the city, or "abajo de la linea" as it is commonly referred to, most of the business and commercial areas, as well as the modern structures, are located on the West side. A lot of the wealth is located in the West part of the city. Many areas on the East side have been growing very rapidly in the past decades. The road to La Lima has become a major commercial area.

San Pedro Sula is divided into neighborhoods which are named by residential developments or subdivisions. There is a recent trend in San Pedro Sula of enclosing neighborhoods into gated communities. See List of Neighborhoods in San Pedro Sula for a complete list of neighborhoods.

The city's growing role as a hub for cocaine trafficking has led to a surge in homicides in recent years. In 2011, San Pedro Sula had the highest murder rate in the world, surpassing Mexico's Ciudad Juárez.