By a decree on May 11, 1839, the central government spent one thousand pesos for military service barracks in Turbo.

In 1840, the republican president assigned one thousand fanegas of uncultivated lands for the new population.

Turbo lies near the southeastern tip of the Darién Gap and is the northern terminus of the main route of the Pan-American Highway in South America.

There is currently no paved road connecting through the region to Yaviza, Panama, where the highway continues through Central and North America.

[1] Rainfall in Turbo is heavy due to strong surface westerly winds from the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) located near Turbo’s latitude, although it is much less from January to March when the ITCZ reaches its most southerly latitude, resulting in the town’s classification as a monsoon climate.