Goicoechea was officially drawn away from the canton of San José and established by decree via Law No. 36 on December 7, l848. Law No. 56 decreed on August 6, 1891 that Goicoechea be itself established as a canton in the province of San José with Guadalupe as its municipality. Yet this law did not define any other districts for the canton, though it did recognize 6 townships toward that end.