In the aftermath of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, the area formed part of estates Matalechuzas and Matalechucitas, the latter of which was smaller in size, and the lands known as Jesús María, which together totaled approximately 240 hectares.^[3] Under the Spanish, the area was irrigated by the now-vanished Huatica River, and became generally known as Matalechuzas. The Huatica passed through what eventually became La Victoria, and its main subsidiary canal coursed down what is today Salaverry Avenue and, ultimately, reached the sea at Marbella in Magdalena del Mar.^[8]

One theory about the origin of Matalechuzas' name suggests that, from the 16th century onward, there was a gradual elimination of the owls that inhabited the area. According to Spanish chroniclers, this bird was highly valued as an oracle in pre-Hispanic times, and several huacas (sacred sites) dedicated to its worship were associated with it, which were also gradually destroyed. Over time, the territory was transformed into farmland, primarily dedicated to sugarcane and fruit orchards. Thus, Matalechuzas became the most important plantation in the area, owned by Martín de Ituráin around the 17th century.^[3]

Regarding Matalechucitas, this was a smaller orchard or farm known to have existed since the 17th century. The orchard had several owners until Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco finally took possession of it. Decades later, Reynaldo de Vivanco put it up for sale. On the other hand, the lands called Jesús María were a farm located next to the Santa Beatriz area.^[3]

Following independence, Matalechuzas came to be owned by Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco. Following his death, the estate was inherited by his son, Reynaldo de Vivanco. He would later die fighting at the Morro Solar during the War of the Pacific. Subsequently, the Olavegoya family acquired the land, and at the beginning of the 20th century, they began the urban expansion of the former estate.^[3]

What would later become the district's area maintained an agricultural character until the beginning of the 1920s, its territory belonging to the districts of Lima, Pueblo Libre, and Magdalena del Mar. Under the presidency of Augusto B. Leguía, the National School of Agriculture and Veterinary Science developed a project to urbanise the area, which proposed some thirty-two city blocks between what would later become Arenales and Francisco Javier Mariátegui avenues.^[3] In 1930, local residents organised a housing association, creating a committee supporting the creation of a district the following year, chaired by Jacob Alavedra and Enrique Mafuelo Cáceres, a prominent resident at the time.^[9]

The inauguration of Salaverry Avenue in the 1940s granted the area more autonomy and, at the same time, the Campo de Marte—a park that replaced Santa Beatriz Hippodrome—began to take shape as a green space and aesthetically pleasing feature for the emerging residential area. Several important figures settled in the area, developing residential estates in different styles, including Neo-Moorish, Spanish Revival, and styles used in the United States. In addition to these buildings, gardens, balconies and decorated windows were also built to accompany them.^[3] At that time, several members of the Japanese immigrant community in Peru settled in the area, bringing commerce and economic dynamism, as they were the ones who opened the first businesses in the area, thus giving the future district a commercial tone that it maintains to this day.^[10] The community would be targeted during World War II due to the anti-Japanese sentiment of the time, notably in the 1940 race riots that coincided with an earthquake.^[10]

The 1950s saw the construction of government buildings at Salaverry avenue, including the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Health, and the Employee Hospital. The inauguration of San Felipe avenue would complete the local urban landscape, along with the houses and residences on Estados Unidos, Inca Rípac, and Sánchez Cerro streets.^[3]

The Peruvian Congress approved Law No. 1,4763 of December 27, 1955,^[11] which elevated Jesús María to a district, but it was not put into effect. It was ratified by President Fernando Belaúnde Terry on December 17, 1963, formally creating the district.^[12] Its first mayor, José Benavides Muñoz, was elected in November 1966^[9]

In the 1960s and 1970s, the newly created district acquired a more heterogeneous profile with the emergence of more popular and small middle-class areas. The Hippodrome of San Felipe, which succeeded that of Santa Beatriz, was demolished to make way for a residential complex of the same name. It was commissioned by President Fernando Belaúnde and designed by a team headed in part by architects Enrique Ciriani, Jorge Páez, Jorge Bernuy, and Nikita Smirnoff Bracamonte, designed to combine a high residential density with ample green space, and shopping, banking, and schooling.^[13][14] and is widely considered the cornerstone of Jesús María's middle-class identity.^[15][16][17]

Today, Jesús María is an upper class, highly residential district, home to 75,359 people. The district usually ranks in the top four districts with the best quality of life in Lima.^[18] The district's central location and proximity to San Isidro and Miraflores, have also contributed to it becoming an increasingly popular residential option.^[18] Jesús María is experiencing a housing and construction boom, and many casonas (older large, luxury homes) are being replaced with high-rise apartments and condominiums.^[19][20] The number of high-rise buildings being constructed has led to concerns by some residents of the district, who have voiced concerns regarding zoning and material damages.^[21][22] Some houses have been preserved as businesses or government installations, such as the City Hall.^[23]

Since 2023, the incumbent mayor is Jesús Galvez.

Jesús María is the site of a lone populated centre that is coterminous with the district:^[25]

As of 2026, Jesús María is twinned with the following places:

• Antioquia, Peru
• Arica, Chile
• Capitán Meza, Paraguay
• Fichtelberg, Germany
• Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Jesús María, Argentina
• Santo Tomé, Argentina
• Porto Alegre, Brazil

Jesús María is bordered by the districts of Pueblo Libre and Breña District on the west, on the north and east, on the southeast, and and on the south.

Jesús María is home to a number of 20th-century houses, known as casonas, many of which were built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.^[23]

Landmarks of Jesús María
Name	Location	Notes	Photo
Apostolic Nunciature	Salaverry 600	The building houses the permanent diplomatic mission of the Holy See to Peru.[27]
Campo de Marte		The park is one of the largest in the city. It contains a monument to the War of 1942 fought between Peru and Ecuador, a monument to a century of Japanese immigration, and the Eye that Cries, commemorating those killed and disappeared during Peru's internal conflict between 1980 and 1992. It is also home to the district's municipal sports complex.
Japanese–Peruvian Cultural Centre	Residencial San Felipe	The building is operated by the Japanese Peruvian Association. It features a theatre, a museum dedicated to Japanese immigration, and a library, among other facilities.
Edgardo Rebagliati Martins National Hospital	Rebagliati 490	The hospital is one of the largest and busiest health centers in the country.
Embassy of Guatemala	Inca Ripac 309	The building houses the permanent diplomatic mission of Guatemala to Peru.[27]
Embassy of Italy	Garibaldi 298	The building houses the permanent diplomatic mission of Italy to Peru.[27]
Embassy of Japan	San Felipe 356	The building houses the permanent diplomatic mission of Japan to Peru.[27]
Embassy of Poland	Salaverry 1978	The building houses the permanent diplomatic mission of Poland to Peru.[27]
Latina Televisión	San Felipe 968	The building hosts the studios of the country's television channel.
Ministry of Health	Salaverry 801	The building houses the ministry of the same name, as well as the city's medicinal botanical garden.t
Ministry of Labour	Salaverry 655	The building houses the ministry of the same name.
Museum of Natural History	Arenales 1256	The museum is owned and operated by the National University of San Marcos. It was established in 1918 and houses important Peruvian fossils and the specimen collection of early Peruvian geographer and explorer, Antonio Raimondi.
Niño Jesús de Praga Chapel	Cayetano Heredia 1164	The building functions as a chapel of the Society of Saint Pius X, offering Tridentine Mass services.
Residencial San Felipe		The complex was built over a racetrack and commissioned by President Fernando Belaúnde and designed by a team headed in part by architects Enrique Ciriani, Jorge Páez, Jorge Bernuy, and Nikita Smirnoff Bracamonte, designed to combine a high residential density with ample green space, and shopping, banking, and schooling.
San Antonio de Padua Church	San Felipe 571	Inaugurated on November 30, 1967. It is linked to the history of stained glass art in Lima's churches, a tradition championed by the Austrian artist Adolfo Winternitz. Its origins date back to May 2, 1952, with the creation of the parish, whose first priest was Urbano Cloutier. In the following years, he would found and build the school of the same name. The church was designed by Peruvian architect Roberto Wakeham and was inaugurated to commemorate the episcopal consecration of its then parish priest, Monsignor Lorenzo Guibord. It has a capacity of one thousand people and two entrances. Inside, it houses important works by Winternitz, as well as works by Italian sculptor Anna Maccagno.
San José Church	San José Square	The church, with twin neo-Gothic spires, has been a landmark of the district since its inauguration by the Carmelite Order in 1949.[28]
San José Square		The park serves a de facto main square for the district, marks the district's original "downtown".
Sérvulo Gutiérrez Cultural Centre	Horacio Urteaga 535	The complex serves as the district's municipal cultural centre. It is named after artist Sérvulo Gutiérrez, and hosts an art gallery and the district's municipal library.

Other important medical centers within the district are the private Clínica San Felipe, and the hospitals of the National Police, the Army and the Air Force.^[27] The Universidad del Pacífico, one of the most prestigious universities in economy, is located at Salaverry avenue.

Several renowned research institutions also have their offices in Jesus Maria, including the Instituto de Estudios Peruanos (IEP) and the Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales (CEPES). The Derrama Magisterial—the public school teachers' social security administration—and the Lima Chamber of Commerce are also included in the district.^[27] Jesus Maria is also host to the city's yearly international Book Fair.