Comayagua Department

Comayagua was Honduras's capital for three centuries before losing that status to Tegucigalpa in 1880—a demotion that froze the city in colonial amber while the new capital accumulated resources and population. Today the department sits at Honduras's geographic center, crossed by the highway connecting Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula and hosting the nation's primary military airbase at Soto Cano (Palmerola).

The US military presence at Soto Cano has shaped Comayagua's development since the 1980s, when American forces used the base for counter-insurgency operations during Central American conflicts. Joint Task Force-Bravo maintains approximately 500 US personnel, creating economic activity through base employment and soldier spending, while the runway has periodically served as Honduras's de facto international airport during Tegucigalpa airport closures.

Agriculture defines the department beyond the base perimeter. The Comayagua Valley produces vegetables and basic grains for domestic consumption, benefiting from relatively flat terrain and irrigation potential that mountainous departments lack. This creates food security value: while Cortes manufactures for export and Bay Islands caters to tourists, Comayagua feeds Hondurans.

The colonial architecture in Comayagua city attracts modest heritage tourism, offering visitors a glimpse of what Tegucigalpa might have preserved had development pressures been lower. By 2026, expect continued agricultural production, stable US military presence, and efforts to position Comayagua as a transit logistics hub between the nation's two primary cities.