List of Honduras Departments and Capitals - Departments in Honduras

Written and Fact-checked by | Last Updated On: May 22, 2026

Honduras is divided into 18 departments (departamentos in Spanish). Here are the names of the departments in Honduras:

Honduras is a Central American country bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. The country is divided into 18 departments, and those departments are further divided into municipalities for local administration. Tegucigalpa is the national capital and also the largest city in Honduras.

The country includes mountain ranges, Caribbean beaches, tropical forests, farming valleys, and coastal lowlands along both seas. Some departments are densely populated around major cities, while others are rural regions with forests, cattle ranches, coffee farms, and fishing communities.

Key Facts

  • National capital: Tegucigalpa
  • Total population: 10,825,703 (Official estimate 2024)
  • Total area: 112,492 km² (43,433 sq miles)
  • Currency: Honduran Lempira (L, HNL)
  • Bordering countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua
  • Total Departments: 18
  • Total Municipalities: 290+

List of Departments and Capitals of Honduras

Total departments shown: 18 | Combined population: 10,825,703 | Combined area: 112,492 km²

#Department NameCapital CityRegionArea (km²)Population (Latest Census)
1AtlántidaLa CeibaCaribbean Coast4,251560,000
2CholutecaCholutecaSouthern Pacific4,360520,000
3ColónTrujilloNorthern Coast8,249390,000
4ComayaguaComayaguaCentral Highlands5,124620,000
5CopánSanta Rosa de CopánWestern Highlands3,242430,000
6CortésSan Pedro SulaNorthwest Honduras3,9231,900,000
7El ParaísoYuscaránEastern Highlands7,489550,000
8Francisco MorazánTegucigalpaCapital Region7,9461,700,000
9Gracias a DiosPuerto LempiraMosquito Coast16,997110,000
10IntibucáLa EsperanzaWestern Highlands3,072290,000
11Islas de la BahíaRoatánCaribbean Islands26185,000
12La PazLa PazCentral Highlands2,331240,000
13LempiraGraciasWestern Highlands4,228390,000
14OcotepequeNueva OcotepequeWestern Borderlands1,630165,000
15OlanchoJuticalpaEastern Interior24,057620,000
16Santa BárbaraSanta BárbaraNorthwestern Highlands5,024480,000
17ValleNacaomePacific Coast1,665210,000
18YoroYoroNorth-Central Honduras7,781955,703

Largest Departments by Area

  • Olancho - 9,288 sq mi (24,057 km²)
  • Gracias a Dios - 6,563 sq mi (16,997 km²)
  • Colón - 3,185 sq mi (8,249 km²)
  • Francisco Morazán - 3,068 sq mi (7,946 km²)
  • Yoro - 3,004 sq mi (7,781 km²)
  • El Paraíso - 2,892 sq mi (7,489 km²)
  • Comayagua - 1,978 sq mi (5,124 km²)
  • Santa Bárbara - 1,940 sq mi (5,024 km²)

Most Populous Departments

  • Cortés - Population: 1,900,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Francisco Morazán - Population: 1,700,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Yoro - Population: 955,703 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Comayagua - Population: 620,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Olancho - Population: 620,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Atlántida - Population: 560,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • El Paraíso - Population: 550,000 (Official Estimate 2024)
  • Choluteca - Population: 520,000 (Official Estimate 2024)

Smallest Departments by Area

  • Islas de la Bahía - 101 sq mi (261 km²)
  • Ocotepeque - 629 sq mi (1,630 km²)
  • Valle - 643 sq mi (1,665 km²)
  • La Paz - 900 sq mi (2,331 km²)
  • Intibucá - 1,186 sq mi (3,072 km²)
  • Copán - 1,252 sq mi (3,242 km²)

Departments by Regional Grouping

  • Capital Region: Francisco Morazán
  • Caribbean Coast: Atlántida
  • Northern Coast: Colón
  • Northwest Honduras: Cortés
  • North-Central Honduras: Yoro
  • Caribbean Islands: Islas de la Bahía
  • Central Highlands: Comayagua, La Paz
  • Western Highlands: Copán, Intibucá, Lempira
  • Western Borderlands: Ocotepeque
  • Eastern Highlands: El Paraíso
  • Eastern Interior: Olancho
  • Mosquito Coast: Gracias a Dios
  • Pacific Coast: Valle
  • Southern Pacific: Choluteca
  • Northwestern Highlands: Santa Bárbara

Landlocked Departments

  • Comayagua
  • Copán
  • El Paraíso
  • Francisco Morazán
  • Intibucá
  • La Paz
  • Lempira
  • Ocotepeque
  • Olancho
  • Santa Bárbara
  • Yoro

Departments with Coastline

  • Atlántida
  • Choluteca
  • Colón
  • Gracias a Dios
  • Islas de la Bahía
  • Valle

Departments Sharing Borders with Other Countries

  • Guatemala: Copán, Cortés, Ocotepeque
  • El Salvador: Choluteca, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Valle
  • Nicaragua: El Paraíso, Gracias a Dios, Olancho

Sources