Chamical is a small city in, and the seat of government of, Chamical Department in the south of La Rioja Province of Argentina. With a population of 12,919 permanent residents at the 2010 census, up from 11,831 at the time of the 2001 census, it is the third-most populous settlement in La Rioja Province after Chilecito. It is home to the CELPA aerospace test center, founded in 1961 and operated by the Argentine Air Force.