Palmares is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica.
Palmares was created on 30 July 1888 by decree 68.
The first settlers in what today is Palmares are believed to have arrived in 1835 from the cities of Alajuela and Belén, looking for land where to cultivate tobacco and other products.
Palmares has an area of km<sup>2</sup> and a mean elevation of metres.
The canton encompasses a circular area with the city of Palmares at its center. The establish the boundary on the canton's southwestern edge and the Grande River delineates the boundary on its north and northeast sides.
The canton of Palmares is subdivided into the following districts:
The current population of the Canton from the 2022 Census is 39,148, showing almost 13% growth in the district since the 2011 census, when Palmares had a population of inhabitants.
The canton is covered by the following road routes: