Ranchuelo is a town and municipality in the Villa Clara Province of Cuba. It was founded in 1734 and has a municipal population of 59,062, of which about 16,804 in the town itself. History Originally named Boca de Ranchuelo, the settlement was founded by Dionisio Consuegra on October 1, 1734. In 1856 it was linked to the national rail network, and in 1879 gained the municipal status. Geography The town is divided into the barrios of Norte, Poza de la China, Sitio Viejo and Sur. The municipality counts the town proper (with 16,804 inhabitants) and the consejos populares (i.e. "people's councils", mainly villages and hamlets) of Carlos Caraballo, Castaño, Conyedo, Diez de Octubre, Esperanza, Horqueta-Delicias, Ifraín Alfonso (also known as Central Santa María), Jicotea, Osvaldo Herrera (also known as Pastora), Rancho Grande-Jagua and San Juan de los Yeras. Ranchuelo is 7 km from San Juan de los Yeras, 9 from Esperanza, 16 from Cruces, 28 from Santa Clara, 43 from Cienfuegos and 256 from Havana. It borders with the municipalities of Santo Domingo, Cifuentes, Santa Clara, Manicaragua, Cruces and Lajas. Demographics In 2004, the municipality of Ranchuelo had a population of 59,062. With a total area of , it has a population density of . Transport Ranchuelo is served by the A1 motorway at the homonym exit, also known as "Ranchuelo-Cienfuegos". It counts a railway station on the Santa Clara-Cienfuegos line, that is also the western terminus of a freight line to Mataguá. Esperanza, the most populated municipal hamlet, is crossed in the middle by the "Carretera Central" state highway. Notable people Samuel Feijóo (1914-1992), singer, born in San Juan de los Yeras María Dámasa Jova Baró (1890-1940), writer, educator and feminist See also Municipalities of Cuba List of cities in Cuba References External links Ranchuelo on EcuRed (historical info on guije.com) Populated places in Villa Clara Province 1734 establishments in North America Populated places established in 1734 1734 establishments in the Spanish Empire