Sonsonate is a city and district located in western El Salvador, serving as its municipal seat. It is considered the second most important city in the western region of the country and had an estimated population of 71,980 inhabitants in 2020.
The town was originally founded in 1552 as "Villa del Espíritu Santo" near los Izalcos, but it was moved to its current location in 1553. It was renamed "Villa de la Santísima Trinidad de Sonsonate," a cocoa-producing area. The name originates from the Nahuat language, referring to the Rio Grande or Sonsonate river that flows across the plain into the Pacific Ocean.
Historically, Sonsonate was the third Spanish population founded in the territories of modern-day El Salvador. Throughout the period of Spanish domination in America, it served as the capital of the Mayor's Office of Sonsonate, which was a territory administered independently from San Salvador.