Loja, Ecuador

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Loja
City
From top, left to right: Panoramic view of the city, City Gate, Loja Independence Monument, Benjamín Carrión National Theater, Cathedral of the Shrine, Saint Francis Church next to the Alonso de Mercadillo monument, Juan de Salinas monument and Lourdes street.
Flag Seal
Nickname:  "Musical Capital of Ecuador"
Motto:  Loja Para Todos (Loja is for Everyone)
Loja
Coordinates: 3°59′S 79°12′W / 3.983°S 79.200°W / -3.983; -79.200
Country	Ecuador
Province	Loja
Canton	Loja
Founded	December 8, 1548
Government
• Mayor	Franco Quezada
Area
• City	55.88 km2 (21.58 sq mi)
Elevation	2,060 m (6,758 ft)
Population  (2022 census)[1]
• City	203,496
• Density	3,600/km2 (9,400/sq mi)
Demonym	Lojano/a
Time zone	UTC-5 (ECT)
Postal code	110101, 110102, 110103, 110104
Area code	(+593) 7
Climate	Cfb
Website	www.loja.gob.ec/ (in Spanish)

Loja (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlo.xa]), formerly Loxa and fully City of the Immaculate Conception of Loja (Spanish: Ciudad de la Inmaculada Concepción de Loja), is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and other cantons of the province of Loja. Loja holds a rich tradition in the arts, and for this reason is known as the Music and Cultural Capital of Ecuador. The city is home to two major universities.

The city has a population of about 203,000, and is situated 2060 m (6758 ft) above sea level. It has a mild Andean climate, ranging between 16 and 30 °C.

The Pan-American Highway runs past Loja.