It is located in the Cono Norte area of the province and was founded by General José de San Martín in August 1821 at which time it was the only district to occupy the area north of the Rímac River up to the province Canta.
Prior to the arrival of the Inca Empire, the valleys of the Rímac and Lurín rivers were grouped under the Ychsma polity.
It lies directly to the north of downtown Lima, to which it is connected by six bridges over the Rímac River.
Within Lima, particularly in public transportation terms, "San Juan" generally refers to San Juan de Miraflores; San Juan de Lurigancho, which is north of the Rímac River and is of larger size, is denoted by its individual sections, such as Zárate, Campoy, Mangomarca, Canto Grande, etc.
The Rímac River marks its natural border with downtown Lima and Callao province's district of Carmen de la Legua Reynoso on the south; while the Chillón River, on the north, marks San Martín de Porres' border with Ventanilla, also in Callao, and Puente Piedra.
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The Lurín River valley is the only one of the three valleys of Lima (Rimac River valley - Chillón River valley — Lurín River valley, that has not been devastated by the unregulated and unplanned urban growth of Lima.
Puente de Piedra, a stone bridge across the Rímac River in Lima, Peru