It was the site of the Battle of Ochomogo (5 April 1823) between those who wanted Costa Rica to join the newly formed First Mexican Empire and those who preferred independence.

[2] Ochomogo is just south of the Autopista Florencio del Castillo, which connects San José to Cartago, and is on the northeastern outskirts of Cartqago.

[2] The left-lateral strike-slip Ochomogo fault is about 22 kilometres (14 mi) long, running between the south of San José and the southern slopes of the Irazú Volcano.

This could mean that the location was at the center of America, but more plausibly meant that it was on the drainage divide between the Atlantic (Cartago) and Pacific (San José) slopes.

[6] In the night of 9–10 December 1963 torrential rain on the Irazú Volcano caused the Reventado River to widen to over 500 metres (1,600 ft), carrying a heavy load of rocks and mud.