Line 1 · Station 3 of 16
Ciudad Kennedy
Also known as Station 3
Kennedy · Av. Villavicencio - Carrera 80D
Station facts
- Locality
- Kennedy
- Location
- Av. Villavicencio - Carrera 80D
- TransMilenio
- No direct connection
About this area
Ciudad Kennedy is one of three Line 1 stations — along with Timiza and Santa Isabel — whose name was chosen by a citizen vote rather than assigned in advance, according to Infobae. In that vote, "Ciudad Kennedy" won with 6,269 votes out of 15,142 cast among the proposed options for this station, according to El Tiempo. The full poll, combining all three stations, drew 44,145 votes collected over more than a month through Chatico, the Bogotá city government's virtual assistant, and the Alcaldía Mayor's website, according to Infobae.
Why is it called Ciudad Kennedy?
Quick facts
- Order
- Station 3 of 16
- Locality
- Kennedy
- TransMilenio
- No direct connection
It surprises most first-time visitors: an entire Bogotá district — and now a metro station — is named after US President John F. Kennedy. On December 17, 1961, Kennedy visited Bogotá and laid the first stone of Ciudad Techo, a housing project of 18,000 homes across 308 hectares planned for around 126,000 people, funded under the "Alliance for Progress" program, according to bogota.gov.co. Before that development, the land had been home to Muisca communities and was later divided into haciendas through the colonial era and into the 1930s, according to Wikipedia. After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, residents of that first housing block renamed it in his honor; Bogotá's city council formally ratified the name Ciudad Kennedy in 1967, according to the same bogota.gov.co source.
Frequently asked questions
Why is this station named after JFK?
Ciudad Kennedy is named for US President John F. Kennedy, who visited Bogotá on December 17, 1961 and laid the first stone of the Ciudad Techo housing project. After his 1963 assassination, residents renamed the area in his honor, a change Bogotá's city council formally ratified in 1967.
Where it is on the line
Where it is in the city
Station coordinates: Empresa Metro de Bogotá — Datos Abiertos Bogotá (CC BY 4.0)