Copiapó (Spanish pronunciation: [kopjaˈpo]) is a city and commune in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal town of Caldera.

The first section between Caldera and Monte Amargo was inaugurated on July 4, 1850 in honor of the Independence Day, as American businessman William Wheelwright was responsible for the project.

Prior to Spanish occupation, the area was inhabited by the Diaguita people under the rule of the Inca Empire into the 16th century.

After the discovery of the rich silver deposits near Chañarcillo by Juan Godoy in 1832 it became an important mining centre,[4] and until Chile annexed Antofagasta from Bolivia and Iquique and Arica from Peru following the War of the Pacific (1879–1883), Copiapó was the nation's northernmost city and main mining city.

[5] Through the 20th century, the city of Copiapó grew markedly, both from the mining industry and its role as capital of its department.

The miners were 700 meters (2,300 ft) deep and 5 kilometers (3 mi) from the mine's entrance via spiraling underground ramps.

It consists largely of grape production, with olives, tomatoes, avocados and some citrus fruits also produced as commodity crops.

In addition, a new casino has attracted both domestic and foreign tourists, and hotels have invested in new amenities and structures to satisfy demand.

As a commune, Copiapó is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.

In 1996,[14] Calcutta ran for the re-election, but was defeated by the socialist candidate Marcos López (city councilor 1992–1996) by a narrow margin of 146 votes.

López's term differed substantially from Calcutta's; his first three years as mayor did not see any important public expenditures in visible things.

In spite of surveys that showed a virtual tie between them, López won the election with an overwhelming 50.07% of the votes to his rival's 31.52%.

[15] López's second term in office was characterized by high public expenditures, part of it from the Central Government to improve Chilean infrastructure toward the bicentennial of Independence.

In 2004, Marcos López was elected to another term, defeating the rightist candidate René Aedo (RN) with 50.01% to 40.82% of the votes.

[16] In 2008, López ran for a fourth term, but was defeated by the independent candidate Maglio Cicardini Neyra, by a margin of less than 1% of the votes.

Copiapó provides public and private education, from kindergarten to high school, and also technical and bachelor's degrees.

[18] This city has a football team called Club de Deportes Copiapó, which was born after the dissolution of Regional Atacama, in 1999.

For over 21 years, the Atacama Raid has been the cornerstone of the development of off-road activities along Chile, and its example has been followed by many clubs and even several companies.

Another of the achievements is to hold, without competition, the record for international off-road event (amateur) with greater permanence in time.