Is it possible that Paso Carrasco got its name from a road over solid ground? That road roughly followed today’s inter-coastal route. It connected the dune-filled area to Paso Escobar over the Pando stream. Paso de Carrasco evolved over time into Paso Carrasco.
Paso Carrasco is a city within the Canelones Department. It serves as the seat of its municipality. It is part of the Montevideo Metropolitan Area. The city is the closest to the capital towards the east. It sits 16 km from the center. Paso Carrasco borders the Carrasco stream and Carrasco Norte to the west. It is north of Bañados de Carrasco. Parque Miramar lies to the south. Parque Franklin Delano Roosevelt sits to the east. The 2011 census recorded a stable population of 15908 residents in Paso Carrasco.
Until the 1940s, the land on both sides of Wilson Ferreira Aldunate Avenue belonged to a few families. These included Conrado, Ema, and Ricardo Lagos. Also included Julieta García Acevedo and her husband Duke Livio Sersale di Cerisano, who came from Italy.
After Julieta García Acevedo passed away, Livio Sersale chose to return to Italy. He sold all his properties. This allowed the subdivision of part of present-day Paso Carrasco in 1955. This area is known as the Paraíso de Carrasco neighborhood. It spans about 44 hectares. The central-northern part of the city is now the Monterrey neighborhood. This section was sold to DAR. Andrés Deus, José Pedro Aramendia, and Dr. Rodríguez Barrios formed DAR. They divided it in 1958 and promoted land sales by gifting 5,000 bricks.
The area had sparse population. It was mostly hills, dunes and lagoons. Camino Carrasco was paved in 1959. Transportation relied on lines 109 and 114. They ran every hour until 5 or 6 PM, heading to downtown Montevideo.
The first businesses in Paso Carrasco were a bakery, a pharmacy and a grocery store. Electric light was installed in 1959. Law N° 13.167 elevated the town to village status on October 15, 1963. Water came from well pumps. The OSE service arrived in 1970. Street lighting was installed on Camino Carrasco in 1984.
Paso Carrasco has seen rapid population growth. Carrasco International Airport and the Aeronautical Technical School are nearby. Several major industries provided jobs. These included automotive, paper, meatpacking, tanning, sand extraction, and paint businesses. Recent recessions caused many of these industries to close or reduce staff. Paso Carrasco has public schools. Its residents have strong ties to Montevideo activities.
Law N° 16.608 raised Paso Carrasco to city status on October 19, 1994. According to the 2011 census, the city has 15,908 residents. Buses serve Paso Carrasco. They currently use Wilson Ferreira Aldunate Avenue, without entering internal streets.
Paso Carrasco is served by several bus lines. Line 109 goes to Plaza Independencia. Lines 701, 704, 705, and 706 serve Pando and Terminal Río Branco. Other lines connect to various destinations. These include Salinas, Parque del Plata and Estación Atlántida.
Often, Paso Carrasco is invaded by a foul smell. This comes from pollution in the Carrasco stream and the municipal landfill. Despite its challenges, Paso Carrasco continues to grow. Its history reflects its journey from a simple road to a vibrant city.