Río Claro is a commune of the Talca Province in Chile's Maule Region.

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Río Claro spans an area of 430.5 km2 (166 sq mi) and has 12,698 inhabitants (6,716 men and 5,982 women).

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

[1] Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Río Claro is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Pablo Lorenzini (PDC) and Pedro Pablo Alvarez-Salamanca (UDI) as part of the 38th electoral district, together with Curepto, Constitución, Empedrado, Pencahue, Maule, San Clemente, Pelarco and San Rafael.

The commune is represented in the Senate by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC) as part of the 10th senatorial constituency (Maule-North).