Quito

American  

[kee-taw] / ˈki tɔ /

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Ecuador, in the N part. 9,348 feet (2,849 meters) above sea level.

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Quito British  

/ ˈkiːtəʊ, ˈkito /

noun

1. the capital of Ecuador, in the north at an altitude of 2850 m (9350 ft), just south of the equator: the oldest capital in South America, existing many centuries before the Incan conquest in 1487; a cultural centre since the beginning of Spanish rule (1534); two universities. Pop: 1 514 000 (2005 est)

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Example Sentences

On Tuesday, Quito ended the stint of its own ambassador in Havana.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

The US Embassy in Quito did not respond to Salon’s request for comment.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

But just an hour outside Quito lies the Andean Chocó, a vast cloud forest teeming with exotic birds, pumas, ocelots and giant anteaters—and you no longer need to be an intrepid bushwhacker to enjoy it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

We meet her when she lands in Quito, Ecuador, to wreak havoc in Gonzalo Cordova’s stop-motion animated show, “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads,” Adult Swim’s first-ever Spanish-language program, which premiered Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

She’s twelve years old and works as a maid for mestizos in Quito, about two hours away.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau