RÃÂo Hurtado is one of five communes in the LimarÃÂ Province of Chile's north-central IV Coquimbo Region.
As a commune, RÃÂo Hurtado is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, RÃÂo Hurtado is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by members elected in the 5th electoral district. The commune is represented in the Senate by members of Parliament elected as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
RÃÂo Hurtado spans an area of .
According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, the RÃÂo Hurtado commune had 4,771 inhabitants, all of whom are considered to live in rural areas, making it the least populous commune in the province. The RÃÂo Hurtado population represents 0.79% of regional population and 3.1% of the provincial population.
Rio Hurtado hosts the El Sauce astronomical observatory, and in particular the Chilean station of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLASâÂÂCHL, observatory code W68).