A partido is the second-level administrative subdivision used only in the . They are formally considered to be a single administrative unit, usually contain one or more population centers (i.e., towns and cities), and are divided into localidades. The subdivision in partidos in Buenos Aires Province is distinct from all other provinces of Argentina, which call their second-level subdivisions departamento and are further subdivided into distinct municipalities.

History By the end of 18th century the town council (cabildo) of Buenos Aires established the first partidos in the countryside: San Isidro del Pago de la Costa (San Isidro) in 1779 and San Vicente, Quilmes, Magdalena, La Matanza, Cañada de Morón (Morón), Las Conchas (Tigre) and San Pedro in 1784.

At the head of every partido, the cabildo appointed a rural judge called Alcalde de la Santa Hermandad. The judge, or alcalde, had the mission to maintain the law and order in the surrounding rural area of Buenos Aires, fighting against cattle raiders. The alcalde was helped by a constabulary called Santa Hermandad (Holy Brotherhood) created in the late 15th century by the Catholic Monarchs and transplanted to the colonies.

In 1821 the Governor Martín Rodríguez and his minister Bernardino Rivadavia dissolved the cabildos and since then was the governor itself who appointed the judges, now called Juez de Paz (Justice of the Peace), his administrative territory was called Partido judicial (Judicial district) hence the name of the subdivision.

In 1856 the office of Juez de Paz was replaced by a Presidente de la Municipalidad, or Municipal President. It was appointed by the Governor from a list of three candidates presented by the Municipales, or councillors, who were elected by the citizens of the different partidos.

Since 1890 the head of the government is called Intendente (Intendant), or Mayor, and is directly elected by the citizens.

On October 24, 1864 the Legislature of the Province of Buenos Aires sanctioned law № 422, dividing the province into 45 partidos: Arrecifes, Baradero, Barrancas al Sud (Avellaneda), Belgrano (Barrio Belgrano), Cañuelas, Carmen de Areco, Chacabuco, Chascomús, Chivilcoy, del Pilar, Ensenada, Exaltación de la Cruz, General las Heras, General San Martín, Giles, Junín, Matanza, Las Conchas (Tigre), Lobos, Lomas de Zamora, Luján, Magdalena, Mercedes, Merlo, Monte, Moreno, Morón, Navarro, Pergamino, Quilmes, Ramallo, Ranchos, Rivadavia, Rojas, Salto, San Antonio, San Fernando, San Isidro, San José de Flores (Barrio Flores), San Nicolás, San Pedro, San Vicente, Suipacha, Viedma and Zárate.

Government Population Councillorsat most 5,00065,000-10,0001010,000-20,0001220,000-30,0001430,000-40,0001640,000-80,0001880,000-200,00020more than 200,00024 Every partido is administered by an executive and a legislative branch, respectively, the mayor (intendente) and a council (concejo deliberante), similar to a county council. It is considered a strong mayor-council form of government.

The mayor is elected to four-year terms and can be reelected for a new term. If they have been re-elected, they can not be re-elected in the same position, but with an interval of one period.

The council is a unicameral body, one-half of whose members are elected every two years to serve four-year terms and can be reelected for a new term. If they have been re-elected, they can not be re-elected in the same position, but with an interval of one period.

The number of councillors depends on the population of every partido. According to decret-law 6769/58 the number of councillors varies as follows:

List of partidos Buenos Aires Province is divided into 135 partidos.

NameCapitalArea (km2)PopulationFlagCoat of Arms / LogosMapAdolfo AlsinaCarhué5,88217,552 Adolfo Gonzáles ChavesAdolfo Gonzales Chaves3,78912,914 AlbertiAlberti1,12312,982 Almirante BrownAdrogué129584,827 ArrecifesArrecifes1,24432,215 AvellanedaAvellaneda56367,554 AyacuchoAyacucho6,75621,977AzulAzul6,63875,905Bahía BlancaBahía Blanca2,240336,574BalcarceBalcarce4,12048,982 BaraderoBaradero1,53040,002Benito JuárezBenito Juárez5,33622,292 BerazateguiBerazategui220358,712 BerissoBerisso145100,930 BolívarSan Carlos de Bolívar4,93537,594 BragadoBragado2,19946,504 BrandsenBrandsen1,11432,448 CampanaCampana986110,566 CañuelasCañuelas1,18670,684 Capitán SarmientoCapitán Sarmiento54915,965 Carlos CasaresCarlos Casares2,53223,100Carlos TejedorCarlos Tejedor3,91214,079 Carmen de ArecoCarmen de Areco1,06117,499 CastelliCastelli2,1139,594 ChacabucoChacabuco2,29052,731 ChascomúsChascomús3,15942,452 ChivilcoyChivilcoy2,05970,839 ColónColón1,00127,504 Coronel DorregoCoronel Dorrego5,84515,968 Coronel PringlesCoronel Pringles5,25724,420 Coronel RosalesPunta Alta1,29067,503 Coronel SuárezCoronel Suárez5,98442,110 DaireauxDaireaux3,82318,422DoloresDolores1,97832,032 EnsenadaEnsenada11463,997EscobarBelén de Escobar301256,268 Esteban EcheverríaMonte Grande121338,480 Exaltación de la CruzCapilla del Señor63740,159EzeizaEzeiza238201,511Florencio VarelaFlorencio Varela190496,433 Florentino AmeghinoFlorentino Ameghino1,81310,790General AlvaradoMiramar1,62845,526 General AlvearGeneral Alvear3,36613,031General ArenalesGeneral Arenales1,48616,350General BelgranoGeneral Belgrano1,85820,791General GuidoGeneral Guido2,3263,174General La MadridGeneral La Madrid4,81411,618General Las HerasGeneral Las Heras75118,022General LavalleGeneral Lavalle2,7054,870General MadariagaGeneral Juan Madariaga2,98222,624General PazRanchos1,20014,207General PintoGeneral Pinto2,55812,941General PueyrredónMar de Plata1,462667,082General RodríguezGeneral Rodríguez367142,709General San MartínSan Martín57450,575General ViamonteLos Toldos2,14022,649General VillegasGeneral Villegas7,26235,251GuaminíGuaminí4,82411,801Hipólito YrigoyenHenderson1,64510,661HurlinghamHurlingham36185,641ItuzaingóItuzaingó38180,232José C. Paz José C. Paz 50326,992JunínJunín2,255103,787 La CostaMar del Tuyú234100,689La MatanzaSan Justo3271,841,247La PlataLa Plata893768,470LanúsLanús50461,267LapridaLaprida3,44811,646Las FloresLas Flores3,34127,239Leandro N. AlemVedia1,60617,266LezamaLezama1,0476,221LincolnLincoln5,77845,506LoberíaLobería4,72018,243LobosLobos1,72641,760Lomas de ZamoraLomas de Zamora89690,323LujánLuján771111,008MagdalenaMagdalena1,85026,830MaipúMaipú2,60411,323Malvinas ArgentinasLos Polvorines63350,674Mar ChiquitaCoronel Vidal3,08933,110Marcos PazMarcos Paz42267,011MercedesMercedes1,05072,980MerloMerlo174582,486MonteSan Miguel del Monte1,87624,868Monte HermosoMonte Hermoso2008,465MorenoMoreno186576,632MorónMorón55331,183NavarroNavarro1,62019,899NecocheaNecochea4,566102,110Nueve de JulioNueve de Julio4,29152,607OlavarríaOlavarría7,666125,751PatagonesCarmen de Patagones13,56437,646PehuajóPehuajó4,52344,783 PellegriniPellegrini1,8217,143PergaminoPergamino3,005115,340PilaPila3,4494,642PilarPilar385394,754PinamarPinamar6639,449Presidente PerónGuernica122102,106PuanPuan6,37616,613Punta IndioVerónica1,60512,297QuilmesQuilmes92633,391RamalloRamallo1,04839,730RauchRauch4,31316,635RivadaviaAmérica3,95519,849RojasRojas2,06025,627Roque PérezRoque Pérez1,55613,977SaavedraPigüé3,54622,537SaladilloSaladillo2,70635,656SalliquelóSalliqueló7969,427SaltoSalto1,61139,425San Andrés de GilesSan Andrés de Giles1,12926,510San Antonio de ArecoSan Antonio de Areco86226,897San CayetanoSan Cayetano2,9978,994San FernandoSan Fernando de la Buena Vista993171,616San IsidroSan Isidro52297,282San MiguelSan Miguel83328,835San NicolásSan Nicolás de los Arroyos681167,824San PedroSan Pedro1,35768,613San VicenteSan Vicente66198,215SuipachaSuipacha94311,786TandilTandil4,855145,575 TapalquéTapalqué4,16910,783TigreTigre394446,949TordilloGeneral Conesa1,3342,542TornquistTornquist4,16014,810Trenque LauquenTrenque Lauquen5,49849,309Tres ArroyosTres Arroyos5,92762,426Tres de FebreroCaseros45364,176Tres LomasTres Lomas1,2529,164Veinticinco de MayoVeinticinco de Mayo4,78935,563Vicente LópezOlivos35282,281Villa GesellVilla Gesell16437,463VillarinoMédanos10,39932,717ZárateZárate1,185132,221

See also Communes of Buenos Aires – second-level administrative divisions in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires Departments of Argentina – second-level administrative divisions elsewhere in Argentina Spanish language page has more data on more of the partidos: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Partidos_de_la_provincia_de_Buenos_Aires

External links Gobierno de Buenos Aires - Official website of the government of the Province of Buenos Aires Short History of the partidos