List of capitals in Mexico
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of Mexican
state capitals.
²Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Coahuila declared their independence form Mexico and formed a de facto independent country for 250 days, after which the separatist forces were defeated and they rejoined the federation.
³In 1824 this state joined the Union as the state of Sonora and Sinaloa, though its own constitution chose the name "Estado de Occidente". In 1830 the state was divided in two to form the separate states of Sonora and Sinaloa, which, after ratifying their own constitutions joined the federation in 1831.
4The Intendencia of Yucatán joined the Mexican Empire and then the federation in 1824. It became an independent republic in two occasions (1841–1843 and 1846–1848). This state comprised the territories of Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state capitals.
| State | Capital | Admission to Union |
Population (2005) | Area |
| 1. Aguascalientes Aguascalientes Aguascalientes is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 11 municipalities and its capital city is Aguascalientes.... |
Aguascalientes Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes The city of Aguascalientes is the capital of the state of Aguascalientes in western central Mexico. It stands on the banks of the Río Aguascalientes, 1880 meters above sea level, at... |
1835 | 1,051,000 | 5625 km² (2,171.8 sq mi) |
| 2. Baja California Baja California Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North... |
Mexicali Mexicali Mexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city... |
1952 | 2,842,000 | 71546 km² (27,624.1 sq mi) |
| 3. Baja California Sur Baja California Sur Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises... |
La Paz La Paz, Baja California Sur La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2010 census population of 215,178 persons, but its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns like el Centenario, el Zacatal and San Pedro... |
1974 | 517,000 | 73943 km² (28,549.6 sq mi) |
| 4. Campeche Campeche Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west... |
Campeche Campeche, Campeche San Francisco de Campeche is the capital city of the Mexican state of Campeche, located at,... |
1858 | 751,000 | 57727 km² (22,288.5 sq mi) |
| 5. Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las... |
Tuxtla Gutiérrez Tuxtla Gutiérrez Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in... |
1824 | 4,256,000 | 73681 km² (28,448.4 sq mi) |
| 6. Chihuahua | Chihuahua Chihuahua, Chihuahua The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the... |
1824 | 3,238,000 | 247487 km² (95,555.3 sq mi) |
| 7. Coahuila Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico... |
Saltillo Saltillo Saltillo is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located about 400 km south of the U.S. state of Texas, and 90 km west of Monterrey, Nuevo León.... |
1824 1 | 2,475,000 | 151445 km² (58,473.2 sq mi) |
| 8. Colima Colima Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima.... |
Colima Colima, Colima Colima is capital of the state of the same name, a city and municipality located in the center west of Mexico. It is located near the Colima Volcano, which divides the small state from that of Jalisco. Despite being the capital, the city is not the state’s main tourist attraction, eclipsed by... |
1857 | 562,000 | 5627 km² (2,172.6 sq mi) |
| 9. Durango Durango Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja... |
Durango Durango, Durango -Climate:The city of Durango has a semi-arid climate, classified as Bsk in the Koppen system. The climate is temperate in the western portion , with the average annual temperature being 15 °C and consisting of an average annual rainfall of 1,600 millimeters. In the eastern region, the average... |
1824 | 1,489,000 | 123367 km² (47,632.3 sq mi) |
| 10. Guanajuato Guanajuato Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato.... |
Guanajuato Guanajuato, Guanajuato Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides.... |
1824 | 4,893,000 | 30621 km² (11,822.8 sq mi) |
| 11. Guerrero Guerrero Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo.... |
Chilpancingo Chilpancingo Chilpancingo de los Bravo is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Guerrero, Mexico. It is located at . In the 2005 census the population of the city was 166,796. Its surrounding municipality, of which it is municipal seat, had a population of 214,219 persons... |
1858 | 3,116,000 | 63618 km² (24,563 sq mi) |
| 12. Hidalgo | Pachuca Pachuca Pachuca, formally Pachuca de Soto is the capital of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of which the city serves as municipal seat... |
1869 | 2,334,000 | 20856 km² (8,052.5 sq mi) |
| 13. Jalisco Jalisco Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states... |
Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality... |
1824 | 6,652,000 | 78630 km² (30,359.2 sq mi) |
| 14. México Mexico (state) México , officially: Estado Libre y Soberano de México is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of the United Mexican States. It is divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Toluca de Lerdo.... |
Toluca Toluca Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the... |
1824 | 14,161,000 | 22333 km² (8,622.8 sq mi) |
| 15. Michoacán Michoacán Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia... |
Morelia Morelia Morelia is a city and municipality in the north central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital of the state. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the P'urhépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the... |
1824 | 3,988,000 | 58667 km² (22,651.5 sq mi) |
| 16. Morelos Morelos Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca.... |
Cuernavaca Cuernavaca Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago... |
1869 | 1,605,000 | 4892 km² (1,888.8 sq mi) |
| 17. Nayarit Nayarit Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico... |
Tepic Tepic Tepic is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Nayarit.It is located in the central part of the state, at.It stands at an altitude above sea level of some 915 meters, on the banks of the Río Mololoa and the Río Tepic, approximately 225 kilometers north-west of Guadalajara, Jalisco.... |
1917 | 943,000 | 27862 km² (10,757.6 sq mi) |
| 18. Nuevo León Nuevo León Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S... |
Monterrey Monterrey Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the... |
1824 ² | 4,164,000 | 64203 km² (24,788.9 sq mi) |
| 19. Oaxaca Oaxaca Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions... |
Oaxaca Oaxaca, Oaxaca The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín... |
1824 | 3,522,000 | 93343 km² (36,039.9 sq mi) |
| 20. Puebla Puebla Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla.... |
Puebla Puebla, Puebla The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded... |
1824 | 5,391,000 | 34251 km² (13,224.4 sq mi) |
| 21. Querétaro Querétaro Querétaro officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro de Arteaga is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro.... |
Querétaro | 1824 | 1,593,000 | 11658 km² (4,501.2 sq mi) |
| 22. Quintana Roo Quintana Roo Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal.... |
Chetumal Chetumal Chetumal is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco... |
1974 | 1,134,000 | 42535 km² (16,422.9 sq mi) |
| 23. San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí.... |
San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in the Mexican state of the same name. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters... |
1824 | 2,412,000 | 61165 km² (23,615.9 sq mi) |
| 24. Sinaloa Sinaloa Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales.... |
Culiacán Culiacán Culiacán is a city in northwestern Mexico, the largest city in the state of Sinaloa as well as its capital and capital of the municipality of Culiacán. With 675,773 inhabitants in the city , and 858,638 in the municipality, it is the largest city in the state of Sinaloa... |
1831 ³ | 2,610,000 | 57331 km² (22,135.6 sq mi) |
| 25. Sonora Sonora Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo.... |
Hermosillo Hermosillo Hermosillo is a city and municipality located centrally in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the capital and main economic center for the state and region. It contains almost all of the state's manufacturing and has thirty percent of its population... |
1831 ³ | 2,384,000 | 179516 km² (69,311.5 sq mi) |
| 26. Tabasco Tabasco Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa.... |
Villahermosa Villahermosa Like most of the Tabasco, Villahermosa has a tropical climate. The city specifically features a tropical monsoon climate. Temperatures during spring and summer seasons reach upwards of 40°C , with humidity levels hovering around 30% during the same period... |
1824 | 2,013,000 | 24747 km² (9,554.9 sq mi) |
| 27. Tamaulipas Tamaulipas Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the... |
Ciudad Victoria Ciudad Victoria Ciudad Victoria , is the capital city of the Mexican state ofTamaulipas. It is located in the western-central region of the state. Ciudad Victoria is also the municipal seat of the surrounding Victoria Municipality, which covers an area of 1,638 km²... |
1824 ² | 3,020,000 | 80148 km² (30,945.3 sq mi) |
| 28. Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Tlaxcala officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala is one of the 31 states which along with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipalities and its capital city is Tlaxcala.... |
Tlaxcala Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala The city of Tlaxcala is the capital and chief center of population of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala. The city is located at in the south-central portion of the state. In the census of 2005 the city had a population of 15,777 inhabitants and was by far the smallest state capital in Mexico. It is... |
1857 | 1,061,000 | 3997 km² (1,543.3 sq mi) |
| 29. Veracruz Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is... |
Xalapa Xalapa Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of... |
1824 | 7,081,000 | 71856 km² (27,743.8 sq mi) |
| 30. Yucatán Yucatán Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida.... |
Mérida Mérida, Yucatán Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast... |
1824 4 | 1,803,000 | 39340 km² (15,189.3 sq mi) |
| 31. Zacatecas Zacatecas Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas.... |
Zacatecas Zacatecas, Zacatecas Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. It is located in the north central part of the country. The city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid 16th century. Prior to this, the area's rich deposits in silver and other minerals were known... |
1824 | 1,357,000 | 75416 km² (29,118.3 sq mi) |
Footnotes
1Joined the federation under the name of Coahuila and Texas. In 1833 the district of Bexar seceded constitutionally from the state to form the separate state of Texas which became an independent republic in 1836, and the name of the state was shortened to Coahuila. Briefly, in 1856 Nuevo León annexed Coahuila in a referendum and declared its independence from Mexico. After the defeat of the separatist forces, Coahuila separated from Nuevo León.²Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Coahuila declared their independence form Mexico and formed a de facto independent country for 250 days, after which the separatist forces were defeated and they rejoined the federation.
³In 1824 this state joined the Union as the state of Sonora and Sinaloa, though its own constitution chose the name "Estado de Occidente". In 1830 the state was divided in two to form the separate states of Sonora and Sinaloa, which, after ratifying their own constitutions joined the federation in 1831.
4The Intendencia of Yucatán joined the Mexican Empire and then the federation in 1824. It became an independent republic in two occasions (1841–1843 and 1846–1848). This state comprised the territories of Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán.