Since the 1980s there was an explosive growth of population due to an expansive process of Montevideo. According to the census of 1996, its population reached 66,402 inhabitants, 92.6% more than in 1985. The various resorts began to merge to form a unit that actually led to its declaration as a city. The growth in subsequent years has continued at a slower pace. At the census of 2004, the population was 83,888 inhabitants, 28.8% more than in 1996. The coastal city is the largest satellite town of the metropolitan area and the third largest city in
Uruguay. In 2010, the
Intendencia de Canelones recorded a population of 79,412 for the municipality during the elections. The census 2011 results show a total population of 95,176 inhabitants. This number reflects the total sum of the neighborhoods that belong to the municipality. The
National Statistics Institute, however, has posted some more areas, outside the municipality, as parts of Ciudad de la Costa, a detailed count of which is given in a separate table below. Were these areas to be counted in, the population would rise to 112,447, making it thus the second largest city of Uruguay. There are no other official sources supporting this count, however, leaving
Salto as the second city in terms of population. The population growth has not been accompanied by an adequate development of infrastructure services, so that much of the city lacks public sanitation and many roads are often impassable during rainy periods. Despite these difficulties, the Ciudad de la Costa is now a commercial and tourist centre of importance in the country. The
Carrasco International Airport is located north of the city, and
Autodromo Victor Borrat Fabini to the east. ==Geography==