Quick facts
Portoviejo overview
Portoviejo (orange) and the other large cities of Ecuador
Portoviejo lies in Manabí in Ecuador at 1.06°S, 80.45°W, about 90 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Guayaquil (UTC-5); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Ambato (387,309) and larger than Eloy Alfaro (315,724). The largest city in Ecuador is Quito with 2,781,641 people; the capital, Quito, has 2,781,641.
The national capital, Quito, is about 233 km away; the nearest large city is Manta, 33 km from Portoviejo.
Ecuador as a whole has a live population of 18,491,304 (+0.8% a year) and ranks #72 of 238 countries — see the Ecuador population page for the full statistics and the Ecuador atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Portoviejo
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Manta Manabí | 33 km | 264,281 |
| Chone Manabí | 56 km | 44,751 |
| Balzar Guayas | 70 km | 40,115 |
| El Empalme Guayas | 90 km | 48,754 |
| Daule Guayas | 104 km | 173,684 |
| Quevedo Los Ríos | 110 km | 213,842 |
| Babahoyo Los Ríos | 132 km | 76,279 |
| Santa Elena Santa Elena | 138 km | 42,214 |
Largest cities in Ecuador
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QuitoCapital | Pichincha | 2,781,641 |
| 2 | Guayaquil | Guayas | 2,723,665 |
| 3 | Cuenca | Azuay | 636,996 |
| 4 | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | 458,580 |
| 5 | Ambato | Tungurahua Province | 387,309 |
| 6 | Portoviejo | Manabí | 321,800 |
| 7 | Eloy Alfaro | Guayas | 315,724 |
| 8 | Machala | El Oro | 289,141 |
| 9 | Loja | Loja | 274,112 |
| 10 | Manta | Manabí | 264,281 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Portoviejo?
Portoviejo has about 321,800 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Portoviejo the capital of Ecuador?
No. The capital of Ecuador is Quito (2,781,641 people), about 233 km away. Portoviejo is the 6th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Portoviejo compared with the rest of Ecuador?
Its 321,800 residents are 1.7% of the 18,491,304 people living in Ecuador today. Quito is larger with 2,781,641 people.
Where is Portoviejo?
In Manabí, Ecuador, at latitude -1.06 and longitude -80.45, 90 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Manta (33 km), Chone (56 km), Balzar (70 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Portoviejo Population 2026 — Ecuador. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/ecuador/portoviejo/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/ecuador/portoviejo/">Portoviejo Population 2026 — Ecuador</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.