He named Chiclayo "the Heroic City" to recognize the courage of its citizens in the fight for independence, a title it still holds.

Other nicknames for Chiclayo include "The Capital of Friendship" and the "Pearl of the North", due to its kind and friendly nature of its people.

[3] The city is divided into three urban districts, Chiclayo, La Victoria, and José Leonardo Ortiz.

Some attribute it to an indigenous man known as "chiclayoc" or "chiclayep" who transported plaster between the ancient cities of Zaña, Lambayeque and Morrope.

Another version claims that around the time that the city was founded, the area was home to a green-colored fruit called chiclayep or chiclayop, which in the Mochican language means "green that hangs".

In some towns in the highlands of Cajamarca, squashes are known as chiclayos, evidence that this fruit is the origin of the city's name.

Others say the Mochican language had words similar to the name, such as Chiclayap or Chekliayok, which means "place where there are green branches".

[5] The Moche civilization began between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, occupying a territory that spanned much of what is now the northern coast of Peru, encompassing what is today the coastal area of the departments of Ancash, Lambayeque and La Libertad.

This civilization developed a broad knowledge of hydraulic engineering: its people constructed canals to create an irrigation system in order to support agriculture.

The Mochicans produced ceramics with elaborate designs, representing religious themes, humans, animals, and scenes of ceremonies and myths reflecting their perception of the world.

[citation needed] Soon after, the territories of the Sican Culture were controlled by the Chimu Empire, which would absorb the goldsmithing techniques of the Sicán in the handling of gold and silver, integrating its population into this kingdom.

Unlike other major Peruvian colonial cities such as Lima, Piura, Trujillo, or Arequipa, Chiclayo was inhabited by a largely indigenous population rather than Spanish colonizers.

During the Peruvian War of Independence, Chiclayo supported General José de San Martín's liberating army with soldiers, weapons, horses, and other resources, under the supervision of the most progressive creole, José Leonardo Ortiz, and Juan Manuel Iturregui, Pascual Saco Oliveros and other Lambayecan patriots.

Today, Chiclayo is one of the most important Peruvian cities, being one of the financial and commercial capital of Northern Peru.

Modern touches include large supermarkets, banking chains, warehouses, hospitals, clinics, and galleries.

Chiclayo is also known as the "City of Friendship" and Perla del Norte ("Pearl of the North") of Perú, for its kind nature of the people.

the current mayor of Chiclayo is Janet Cubas Carranza, who was elected in 2023 and replaced Marco Gasco Arrobas.

Since the city of Chiclayo is located in a tropical zone near the Equator, the weather should be hot, humid, and rainy.

The winter from July to September, therefore, is much milder, cooler and milder than the central coast of the country, with more sunny days and higher daytime temperatures between 21 °C to 24 °C and windy but less humid nights, with almost the complete absence of the typical drizzle or garúa of Trujillo, Chimbote or Lima.

Periodically, every 7, 10 or 15 years, there are high temperatures during the summer that can exceed 35 °C due to the El Niño phenomenon, registering regular rains and extreme increase in river water.

According to the Census of Population and Housing undertaken in 2007, 574,408 people inhabit the area within Chiclayo's city limits or the six municipalities.

The metropolitan area has a population of 930,824; it includes other nearby cities like Monsefú and Lambayeque in a ten-minute radius by paved highway.

Under the thirty-minute range are, in order of hierarchy, Ferreñafe, Santa Rosa, Eten, Illimo and Tuman.

The most popular dish in this area is Arroz con Pato (marinated duck with green rice).

US-based Spirit Airlines has expressed interest in serving Chiclayo from its hub in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.

A substantial number of bus companies have their own terminals, many of them located near the downtown of the city and in nearby areas.

There are also an overwhelming number of private taxis which incessantly honk their horns throughout the downtown area of the city, causing a great deal of unwanted noise pollution.