City South America
Concepción
Concepción is a big city in Chile, near the sea. A wide river flows past it. It has a university and many factories.
Concepción is one of the largest cities of Chile, in the south-central part of the country, near where the Biobío River meets the Pacific Ocean. Founded in 1550 and moved to its present site after a great earthquake, it is now a center of industry and learning. Its commune had 230,375 people at the 2024 census.
Concepción, in Chile's Biobío region, was founded in 1550 at what is now Penco and moved inland to the Valle de la Mocha after the earthquake and tsunami of 1751. Sited between a sheltered bay and the Biobío corridor to the Central Valley, it became an industrial and university city; earthquakes struck again in 1835, 1939, 1960 and 2010.
Photo: order_242 from Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Concepción
Concepción is a big city in Chile, in South America.
It is near the Pacific Ocean. A wide river called the Biobío flows past it. Many students live there, and factories make all kinds of things.
This page is about Concepción in Chile, a long, thin country in South America. It lies in the south-central part of the country, near the mouth of the Biobío River, about 420 kilometers southwest of Santiago, the capital.
Concepción is one of Chile's largest cities. At the 2024 census, 230,375 people lived in its commune, the local area it governs. Its university, ports and factories make it an important center for the whole region.
This Concepción is the city in Chile's Biobío region, on the Biobío River about 10 km from its mouth. Britannica gives Santiago as about 420 km to the northeast.
Chile's National Statistics Institute (INE) counted 230,375 residents in the commune of Concepción in its 2024 census, the largest commune in the Biobío region; the 2017 census had counted 223,574. Neighboring communes around the bay include Talcahuano, which Britannica calls the city's outport. Britannica attributes the city's commercial and industrial importance to two site advantages: the large, protected Concepción Bay to the north, and the Biobío valley, a corridor through the coastal mountains to the farms and forests of the Central Valley.
- Country
- Chile (Biobío region)
- People in the commune (2024 census)
- 230,375
- River
- Biobío, about 10 km from its mouth
- Distance to Santiago
- about 420 km
Famous places
Concepción has a university and a large cathedral.
From a hill called Cerro Chepe, you can see the wide river and its long bridges. Steel and paper are made in the city's factories.
The city's university was founded in 1919, and the Cathedral of the Most Holy Conception stands near the center. Concepción is also the seat of a court of appeals.
The hero photo was taken from Cerro Chepe, a hill beside the Biobío. It shows the city spreading beside the wide river, long bridges crossing the water and green hills beyond.
Britannica notes that Concepción is an episcopal see, seat of an appellate court and home to a university founded in 1919. The Cathedral of the Most Holy Conception stands in the city center.
Its industrial landmarks are as important to its story as its buildings: the Huachipato steel mill (operating since 1950), a petroleum refinery (1966) and the San Vicente chemical complex (early 1970s) were major additions to older industries such as textiles, food processing, woodworking, glassmaking and brewing; a paper factory and a cotton mill stand on the riverbank. The hero photo looks over the city and the Biobío from Cerro Chepe, with long bridges, a riverside highway and wooded hills.
- University
- founded 1919
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of the Most Holy Conception
- Huachipato steel mill
- operating since 1950
A city that moved
Concepción was first built right beside the sea.
Big earthquakes and huge waves damaged it again and again. So the people moved their city inland, to a valley. They rebuilt it each time the ground shook.
Pedro de Valdivia founded Concepción in 1550, beside the sea at the place now called Penco. Soon after, Indigenous people whom the Spanish called Araucanians burned it twice. Earthquakes struck again and again, and in 1730 and 1751 they were followed by tsunamis, giant sea waves.
After the earthquake of May 25, 1751, the people decided to move the city. In 1764 the governor ordered the move inland to the Valle de la Mocha, where Concepción stands today. Earthquakes have damaged the new city too, notably in 1835, 1939, 1960 and 2010, and each time it was rebuilt.
Pedro de Valdivia founded Concepción in 1550 on the site of present-day Penco; Britannica records that it was burned twice shortly afterward by the Indigenous people the Spanish called Araucanians. Earthquakes struck repeatedly, two of them followed by tsunamis (1730, 1751). After the earthquake of May 25, 1751, an open town council voted that September to move the city, and Governor Ortiz de Rozas chose the Valle de la Mocha; according to the Archivo Histórico de Concepción, 12 years passed before Governor Antonio Guill y Gonzaga ordered the move in 1764.
In its second location the city was again damaged by earthquakes, notably in 1835 (remembered as "La Ruina"), 1939, 1960 and 2010. Britannica records that most of Chile's coal came from mines to the south around Arauco Bay, served by a railway ending in Concepción; the 20th century added steel (1950), oil refining (1966) and chemicals.
Rivers, rails and ports
Trains have long carried goods in and out of Concepción.
Ships come to the ports on the bay nearby. Long bridges cross the wide Biobío River.
Concepción has long been a meeting point of railways. Lines along the Biobío and Itata rivers lead inland, and a railway from the coal-mining area to the south ends here. Another local line links the city with its port, Talcahuano, on the bay.
The Biobío valley is a natural route through the coastal mountains to Chile's Central Valley, where farms and forests supply the region's industries.
Britannica describes Concepción as a railway terminus: the railway serving the major coal mines south of the city ends here, as do lines following the Biobío and Itata rivers into the interior. The Itata line links the industrial and resort towns on the eastern shore of Concepción Bay, and a local railway on the southwestern side joins Concepción with the outport of Talcahuano, Huachipato and San Vicente.
The bay provides large, protected anchorage, and the Biobío valley gives a corridor through the coastal range to the Central Valley. San Vicente, on the bay, supplies fresh and preserved seafood to Santiago.
- Bay
- Concepción Bay, large and protected
- Railways
- lines along the Biobío and Itata rivers end in the city
- Outport
- Talcahuano
Rainy winters, dry summers
In Concepción, summer comes in January!
That is because Chile is in the south half of the world. Summers are warm and dry. Winters, in June and July, are cool and very rainy.
Concepción is south of the equator, so its seasons are the opposite of North America's: summer is in January and winter in July. At the World Meteorological Organization's Concepción station, January days averaged about 23 °C and nights about 11 °C between 1981 and 2010.
In July, days averaged about 13 °C and nights about 6 °C. Most rain falls in winter: June alone averaged about 231 millimeters, while January had only about 16. In all, about 1,090 millimeters falls in a year.
WMO normals for the Concepción station (1981–2010) give average daily highs and lows of about 23 °C and 11 °C in January and about 13 °C and 6 °C in July, a mild range in which no month averages a low below freezing.
Rainfall is strongly seasonal. The monthly averages add up to about 1,090 mm, of which about 765 mm falls from May to August, peaking at about 231 mm in June, while December to February together average only about 52 mm. July averages about 15 rain days and January about 2.
- January, average daily high and low (WMO Concepción station, 1981–2010)
- about 23 °C and 11 °C
- July, average daily high and low (same station and period)
- about 13 °C and 6 °C
- Rain in June (same station and period)
- about 231 mm
- Rain in a year (sum of the monthly averages)
- about 1,090 mm
Living in Concepción
Many people in Concepción work in factories.
They make steel, paper and food. Fishing boats bring fresh seafood. Students study at the university.
Concepción is a working city. Its factories make steel, paper, cloth, glass and food, and there is an oil refinery. San Vicente, on the bay, sends fresh seafood all the way to Santiago.
It is also a student city, thanks to its university. In 2010 a very strong earthquake, magnitude 8.8, shook the region, damaging buildings in Concepción. The city went on to repair the damage, as it had after earlier earthquakes.
Britannica lists a broad industrial base: the Huachipato steel mill, a refinery, the San Vicente chemical complex, textiles, food processing, woodworking, glassmaking and brewing, with paper and cotton mills by the river, while San Vicente supplies seafood to Santiago and the bay's eastern shore has resort towns.
Earthquakes are part of life on this coast. The U.S. Geological Survey lists the 2010 Maule earthquake of February 27, 2010, as magnitude 8.8; Britannica names 2010 among the earthquakes that damaged Concepción, along with 1835 and 1960. The city's historical archive keeps a record of its major earthquakes.
- Industries
- steel, oil refining, chemicals, paper, textiles, food
- Seafood
- from San Vicente, sent to Santiago
- 2010 earthquake
- magnitude 8.8, February 27, 2010
Concepción on the map
Find Concepción on the globe.
It is in Chile, in South America. Chile is long and thin, beside the Pacific Ocean. Concepción is in the middle part, near the sea.
Concepción is in south-central Chile, near the Pacific coast. Chile is a long, thin country between the Andes mountains and the ocean. Santiago, the capital, is about 420 kilometers to the northeast.
The city sits about 10 kilometers up the Biobío River from its mouth, and Concepción Bay lies to the north.
Concepción lies at about 36.8° S and 73.1° W, in the Biobío region. Its present site is about 10 km from the river's mouth and about 13 m above sea level; the original 1550 site at Penco lay on the shore of Concepción Bay to the north.
To the south, coal was mined around Arauco Bay; to the east, the Biobío valley cuts through the coastal mountains toward the Central Valley. Santiago lies about 420 km to the northeast.
- Latitude
- about 36.8° south
- Longitude
- about 73.1° west
- Height above sea level (present site)
- about 13 m
Amazing facts
-
Concepción moved to a new place after a big earthquake.
After the earthquake and tsunami of 1751, the people of Concepción voted to move their city inland to the Valle de la Mocha.
An open town council on September 1, 1751, voted to move the city from Penco; Governor Ortiz de Rozas chose the Valle de la Mocha, and the move was ordered in 1764.
-
Seafood from near Concepción travels all the way to Santiago.
San Vicente, on the bay near Concepción, sends fresh and preserved seafood to Santiago, about 420 kilometers away.
San Vicente is both a resort and a source of fresh and preserved seafood for Santiago, some 420 km northeast.
-
In Concepción, June is the rainiest month.
June at Concepción's weather station averaged about 231 millimeters of rain, while January averaged only about 16.
WMO normals (1981–2010) show about 231 mm of rain in June against about 16 mm in January at Concepción.
-
The 2010 earthquake near Concepción had a magnitude of 8.8.
The 2010 Maule earthquake, which shook Concepción, had a magnitude of 8.8.
The U.S. Geological Survey lists the 2010 Maule, Chile, earthquake of February 27, 2010, at magnitude 8.8.
Words to know
- commune
- in Chile, a local area with its own town government
- earthquake
- a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement deep in the Earth
- tsunami
- a series of giant sea waves, often caused by an earthquake under the sea
- magnitude
- a number that tells how much energy an earthquake released
- census
- an official count of all the people in a country
- outport
- a port that serves a nearby city
Discovery challenge
-
Which river flows past Concepción?
Concepción lies near the mouth of which river?
Concepción stands about 10 km up which river, whose valley leads to Chile's Central Valley?
- The Amazon
- The Biobío
- The Orinoco
Show the answer
The Biobío
The Biobío! It is very wide.
The Biobío River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean near the city.
The Biobío; its valley forms a corridor through the coastal mountains to the Central Valley.
-
Why did Concepción move to a new place?
Why was Concepción moved inland from its first site at Penco?
What event of 1751 led the people of Concepción to vote to move their city?
- An earthquake and tsunami
- A flood of the Amazon
- A volcano erupting in the city
Show the answer
An earthquake and tsunami
An earthquake and giant waves. So they moved away from the shore.
After the earthquake and tsunami of 1751, the people voted to move the city inland.
The earthquake of May 25, 1751, with its tsunami; the move to the Valle de la Mocha was ordered in 1764.
-
When is summer in Concepción?
In which month is it summer in Concepción?
In which month do days at the WMO Concepción station average about 23 °C?
- January
- July
Show the answer
January
January! South of the equator, summer comes in January.
January. Concepción is in the Southern Hemisphere, so summer is in January and winter in July.
January (about 23 °C by day); July, midwinter, averages about 13 °C.
-
How strong was the 2010 earthquake?
What was the magnitude of the 2010 Maule earthquake that shook Concepción?
At what magnitude does the USGS list the Maule earthquake of February 27, 2010?
- Magnitude 4.8
- Magnitude 6.8
- Magnitude 8.8
Show the answer
Magnitude 8.8
Magnitude 8.8. That is very, very strong.
Magnitude 8.8, a very powerful earthquake. Concepción was repaired and rebuilt afterward.
Magnitude 8.8; Britannica lists 2010 among the earthquakes that damaged Concepción, with 1835 and 1960.
-
When was Concepción's university started?
In which year was Concepción's university founded?
In which year was the university of Concepción founded, according to Britannica?
- 1550
- 1919
- 2010
Show the answer
1919
1919! That is more than 100 years ago.
It was founded in 1919. The city itself was founded in 1550.
1919; the city also hosts an appellate court and is an episcopal see.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Concepción, Chile, near the mouth of the Biobío and distinguish it from other places with the same name.
- Explain why a city might move after an earthquake and tsunami, and how cities rebuild.
- Describe how a bay, a river valley and railways helped a city grow into an industrial center.
- Read monthly temperature and rain averages for a Southern Hemisphere city with rainy winters.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Concepción was moved inland after an earthquake and tsunami. What would you need to think about before moving a whole city?
- In Concepción, January is summer. How would your holidays change if seasons were flipped?
- Some place names are used in more than one country. How do maps and addresses help us tell places apart?
Try at home or in class
- Earthquake-safe tower: build two towers of the same height from blocks or sugar cubes, one with a wide base and one narrow, set them on a tray and shake gently. Which stays standing?
- Make a calendar wheel that shows when it is summer and winter in Concepción and in your town.
Key vocabulary: commune, earthquake, tsunami, magnitude, census, outport
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Concepción , Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Región del Biobío: Censo 2024 resultados (presentación regional) , Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE)
- Los terremotos en Concepción , Archivo Histórico de Concepción
- M 8.8 – 2010 Maule, Chile Earthquake , U.S. Geological Survey
- Concepción: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 27, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.