Cúcuta

San José de Cúcuta
Municipality of Colombia
From top, left to right: Historic church of Cúcuta, International Casino Hotel, Cúcuta skyline, Cathedral of Cúcuta, and the Monument to the Battle of Cúcuta.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): La perla del norte (the pearl of the north)
Motto: More progress!
Cúcuta in Department of Norte de Santander. Urban in red, municipality in dark gray.
San José de Cúcuta Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 7°53′39″N 72°30′14″W / 7.89417°N 72.50389°W / 7.89417; -72.50389Coordinates: 7°53′39″N 72°30′14″W / 7.89417°N 72.50389°W / 7.89417; -72.50389
Country	Colombia
Department	Norte de Santander
Foundation	June 17th, 1733
Government
• Mayor	César Rojas Ayala
Area
• Municipality of Colombia	1,176 km2 (454 sq mi)
• Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Elevation	320 m (1,050 ft)
Population (2005-2006 Census)
• Municipality of Colombia	637 000
• Metro	833 816
Time zone	Eastern Time Zone (UTC-05)
Postal code	540000-19
Area code(s)	57 + 7
Website	Official website (Spanish)

Cúcuta (Spanish: [ˈku.ku.ta]), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian city, capital of Norte de Santander department. It is located in the northeast of the country, in the eastern branch of the Colombian Andes, on the border with Venezuela. Cúcuta has a population of approximately 650,000 people according to the 2005-2020 census, making it the 6th largest city in the country. Due to its proximity with Venezuela, Cúcuta is an important commercial center. The international border in Cúcuta is said to be the most dynamic of South America. The city has a length of 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from north to south and 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) from east to west. It is divided into 10 communes and it is the political, economic, administrative, industrial, cultural and tourism hub of the Norte de Santander department.

Cúcuta has experienced a great urban development, as a result other cities has been constituted around the city, like Los Patios in the east, and Villa del Rosario in the south. They are part of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta which has a population of about 850.000 people. It is connected by roads across the country to major cities like Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Ocaña, Valledupar, Pamplona, Tunja and Cartagena de Indias and because of its location, to many cities of Venezuela. Its airport, Aeropuerto Internacional Camilo Daza, offers flights to several Colombian cities as well as to Panama City.