It is only 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of the city of Trinidad, capital of Flores department.

The Santa Bernardina International Airport is located just across the Río Negro river.

While a commercial airport, as of 2021 it lacked passenger or cargo airline services.

The town was founded on 12 October 1821, under the name of San Pedro del Durazno, as a homage to Brazilian Emperor Pedro I, at a time when the territory of present-day Uruguay had been annexed to Brazil as the Cisplatine Province.

On 13 July 1906, its status was elevated to ciudad (city) by Act No.