Quito

Sister cities

• Louisville
• Toronto
• Kraków

History

The oldest traces of human presence in Quito were excavated by American archeologist Robert E. Bell in 1960, on the slopes of the Ilaló volcano, located between the eastern valleys of Los Chillos and Tumbaco. Hunter-gatherers left tools of obsidian glass, dated to 8000 BC. This archeological site, called EI Inga, was brought to Robert Bell's attention by Allen Graffham. As a geologist in Ecuador, Graffham pursued his amateur interest in archeology. He made surface collections at the site during 1956. The discovery of projectile points, particularly specimens with basal fluting, stimulated his interest, and he made several visits to the site to collect surface materials. Graffham's previous interest in Paleo-Indian remains, and his experience with early human-made materials in Kansas and Nebraska in the Central Plains of the United States, led him to believe that the site was an important discovery. The priest Juan de Velasco wrote about a Kingdom of Quito. His source was a lost work by Marcos de Niza, the existence of which has not been confirmed. His account said that another people, known as the Cara or the Schyris, came from the coast and took over the entire region by AD 890. He goes on by saying that this kingdom lasted until the Inca took over the territory in the 15th century. However archeological evidence does not indicate unity among the different ethnic groups in the region. The local Quitu or Quillaco tribe is distinct in its art and architecture from its neighbors. By the 20th century, many prominent historians who began more academic studies, doubted the account of the Quitu-Cara kingdom. They think it was a legendary pre-Hispanic account of the highlands. These days, most historians deny the existence of the kingdom of Quito in favor of a more…

Geography

Quito is in the northern highlands of Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin. The city is built on a long plateau lying on the east flanks of the Pichincha volcano. The valley of Guayllabamba River where Quito lies is flanked by volcanoes, some of them snow-capped, and visible from the city on a clear day. Quito is the closest capital city to the equator. Quito's altitude is listed at . Quito's closest volcano is Pichincha, looming over the western side of the city. Quito is the only capital city that was developed so close to an active volcano. Pichincha volcano has several summits, among them Ruku Pichincha at above sea level and Guagua Pichincha at . Pichincha is active and being monitored by volcanologists at the Geophysical institute of the national polytechnic university. The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when more than of ash covered the city. There were three minor eruptions in the 19th century. The latest eruption was recorded on 5 October 1999, when a few puffs of smoke were seen and much ash was deposited on the city. Activity in other nearby volcanoes can also affect the city. In November 2002 the volcano Reventador erupted and showered the city in fine ash particles, to a depth of several centimeters. The volcanoes on the Central Cordillera (Royal Cordillera), east of Quito, surrounding the Guayllabamba valley, include Cotopaxi, Sincholagua, Antisana and Cayambe. Some of the volcanoes of the Western Cordillera, to the west of the Guayllabamba valley, include Illiniza, Atacazo, and Pululahua (which is the site of the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve). Quito features a subtropical highland climate with uniform precipitation (Köppen: Cfb, Trewartha: Cfll). Because of its altitude and location on the equator, Quito has a fairly constant cool but…

Most-observed species

• Rufous-collared Sparrow

  Zonotrichia capensis (P.L.S.Müller, 1776) · Aves
  16,909
• Great Thrush

  Turdus fuscater Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 · Aves
  16,095
• Eared Dove

  Zenaida auriculata (Des Murs, 1847) · Aves
  14,979
• Sparkling Violetear

  Colibri coruscans (Gould, 1846) · Aves
  13,188
• Black-tailed Trainbearer

  Lesbia victoriae (Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846) · Aves
  7,101
• Vermilion Flycatcher

  Pyrocephalus rubinus (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  6,463
• blue-and-white swallow

  Notiochelidon cyanoleuca (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  5,813
• Masked Flowerpiercer

  Diglossa cyanea (Lafresnaye, 1840) · Aves
  5,746

Most recent

• M 5.2 — 2026-04-21
  4 km N of Cotacachi, Ecuador
• M 5.1 — 2025-12-19
  22 km NW of Archidona, Ecuador
• M 4.6 — 2025-08-16
  24 km ESE of Machachi, Ecuador
• M 4.4 — 2025-06-19
  36 km W of Archidona, Ecuador
• M 4.2 — 2025-06-17
  33 km W of Archidona, Ecuador
• M 5 — 2025-06-17
  44 km ENE of San Miguel de Salcedo, Ecuador