Historic Site · Quito, Ecuador
Historic Centre of Quito
Quito has the largest, least-altered, and best-preserved historic center in the Americas. Built 1534.
Photo: Ángel M. Felicísimo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Quito, Ecuador |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | 1534 |
| Area | Area: 3.2 km² |
| Coordinates | 0.2200° S, 78.5125° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Historic Centre of Quito is known for
Quito has the largest, least-altered, and best-preserved historic center in the Americas.
About Historic Centre of Quito
Quito has the largest, least-altered, and best-preserved historic center in the Americas. This center was, together with the historic center of Kraków, Poland, the first to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 18 September 1978. The historic center of Quito is to the south of the capital's current center, on an area of 320 hectares (790 acres), and one of the most important historic areas in Latin America.
History
The conquistador Diego de Almagro founded Santiago de Quito on 15 August 1534, renamed as San Francisco de Quito on 28 August 1534. The city was later refounded at its present location on 6 December 1534 by 204 settlers led by Sebastián de Benalcázar. On 28 March 1541, Quito was declared a city. In 1563 Quito became the seat of a Real Audiencia (administrative district) of Spain.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Quito |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) |
| Distance from the airport | 12.7 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) · Quito, Ecuador · 12.7 miles away
- Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM) · Tachina, Ecuador · 113.1 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Ecuador
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Historic Centre of Quito?
Quito has the largest, least-altered, and best-preserved historic center in the Americas.
Where is Historic Centre of Quito located?
Historic Centre of Quito is in Quito, Ecuador. Its coordinates are 0.2200° S, 78.5125° W.
How do I get to Historic Centre of Quito?
The nearest town is Quito, and the nearest airport is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), about 12.7 miles away (straight line).
When was Historic Centre of Quito built?
Historic Centre of Quito was built 1534.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quito — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2900 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.