Located on central Chile's Pacific coast, the Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso represents an extraordinary example of industrial-age heritage associated with the international sea trade of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Valparaiso means “Vale of Paradise.” The name is Spanish but the pronunciation is American, Val-pah-ray'zo. Tradition says that the name was suggested by sailors who served under Commodore David Porter, a hero of the War of 1812 for whom the county was named.

Valparaiso is a suburb of Chicago with a population of 33,991. Valparaiso is in Porter County and is one of the best places to live in Indiana. Living in Valparaiso offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes.

What is thought to be Chile's deadliest outbreak of wildland fire on record scorched portions of the cities of Viña del Mar and Quilpué in the country's Valparaíso region in February 2024. NASA satellites first observed fires in wilderness areas in hills to the south of the two cities on February 2, 2024.