Chichicastenango, also known as Santo Tomás Chichicastenango, is a town located in the El Quiché department of Guatemala. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name and has a population of 71,394.
Situated in a mountainous region at an altitude of 1,965 meters (6,447 feet), the town is located approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of Guatemala City. The name was given by Spanish conquistadors based on the Nahuatl name Tzitzicaztenanco, meaning "City of Nettles," used by their allied soldiers from Tlaxcala; its original name was Chaviar.