Palmira, city, Valle del Cauca departamento (department), southwestern Colombia. It lies in the rich Cauca River valley. Founded in 1688, the city has long been an important agricultural and livestock-raising centre. Now the second largest city in its department, Palmira is referred to as the “agricultural capital of Colombia”; tobacco, coffee, sugarcane, rice, and grain are grown in the surrounding area. The city houses an agricultural experiment station and a college of agronomy. Palmira is accessible by the Pan-American Highway and railroad from Cali, the departmental capital, and from other cities in the Cauca valley. Pop. (2007 est.) 233,267.