Araure (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈɾawɾe]) is a town in the Venezuelan state of Portuguesa.

[2] The Araure Municipality, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, has a population of 111,908 (up from 75,811 in 1990).

The municipality's population density is 452.9 inhabitants per square mile (174.9/km2).

The mayor is José Rafael Vásquez, elected in 2004 with 44% of the vote.

[3] He replaced Armando Rodriguez shortly after the last municipal elections in October 2004.