Comodoro Rivadavia

Lore & Background

The city was founded by decree on February 23, 1901, named in honor of shipping minister Martín Rivadavia, a proponent of developing southern Argentina. The first settler was Francisco Pietrobelli, and early settlers included Boers escaping British rule in South Africa and Welsh settlers. In 1903, six hundred Afrikaner families arrived after the Second Boer War and were given farming land, but due to water shortages, drilling began in 1907 and struck oil at 539 meters, transforming the settlement.

Oil discovery boosted economic growth, and by 1919 most of the 1,719 workers lived in metal sheet houses without heating or electric light. The establishment of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) in 1922 and President Arturo Frondizi's oil campaign in the late 1950s accelerated development. The city evolved around the industry and is still called the National Oil Capital. A 1,770 km pipeline conveys natural gas from Comodoro Rivadavia to Buenos Aires.

Comodoro Rivadavia was at one time the capital of the Comodoro Rivadavia Territory (1943–1955) and later became the capital of the Escalante Department. It is home to the main faculty of the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco and its cathedral, dedicated to San Juan Bosco, is the only cathedral in the world dedicated to the founder of the Salesian Order. The National Museum of Petroleum, opened in 1987 by YPF, is located 3 km north of the city center.

Reader's Guide

Comodoro Rivadavia holds significance as the largest city in Chubut and the largest city south of the southern 45th parallel, serving as a commercial and transportation center for the surrounding region. Its discovery of oil in 1907 made it an important export point for a leading Argentine petroleum district, and it remains a key hub for the country's energy industry. The city's growth accelerated notably between 2001 and 2010, with a population increase of about a third, far exceeding the national average. The city is served by General Enrique Mosconi International Airport, a main hub for LADE, and hosts an area control center providing enroute air traffic control over southern Argentina and the Falkland Islands. In recent years, oil production has declined, but the area has turned to wind power, with windmills on Cerro Chenque and surrounding hills comprising South America's largest wind farm, providing 20% of Comodoro's energy needs. The city also experienced a notable flood event on March 22, 2025, when a rainstorm combined with high tide caused flooding, though no evacuations were reported.

Did You Know?

• Comodoro Rivadavia was founded by decree on February 23, 1901, as a port for the inland settlement of Sarmiento.
• Oil was struck in 1907 at a depth of 539 meters while drilling for water.
• The city's cathedral, dedicated to San Juan Bosco, is the only cathedral in the world dedicated to the founder of the Salesian Order.
• A 1,770 km pipeline conveys natural gas from Comodoro Rivadavia to Buenos Aires.