Progreso is a city in the Canelones Department of southern Uruguay. It gives the name to the municipality to which it belongs.
The city is located on the old Route 5 (which runs parallel to the railway track Montevideo - Santa Lucia), about from the centre of Montevideo. It belongs to the wider metropolitan area of Montevideo. The Arroyo Colorado flows through the jurisdiction.
The city was founded on 15 November 1871 under the name of Progreso, the Spanish term for ëProgressû. However, prior to 1871, the place where the current city is located received the name of Puntas del Canelón Chico or Arroyo del Gigante.
The name Progreso is due to the arrival of the railway in 1871, which was introduced into Uruguay by the English.
The railway system enabled the place to expand itself beyond its original borders and to achieve, at the same time, some sort of economic prosperity. The railway system also resulted in the establishment of some English families near the industrial area of the city. Today the wooded avenue that leads to the railway station is known as the Avenida de los Ingleses, meaning ëAvenue of the Englishmenû. The neighborhood where this station is located is known as the Villa Inglesa, ëEnglish Villageû.
Its status was elevated to "Pueblo" (village) category on 1 July 1953 by the Act of Ley Nú 11.968, and then on 11 December 1981 to "Ciudad" (city) by the Act of Ley Nú 15.228.
Present-day Progreso, despite its name, ranks high in Uruguay as far as the unemployment rate is concerned.
According to the 2011 census, Progreso had a population of 16,244. In 2010, the Intendencia de Canelones had estimated a population of 19,578 for the municipality during the elections.
Source: Instituto Nacional de EstadÃÂstica de Uruguay
The city mayor as of July 2015 is Javier "Petru" Petrucelli.