Empalme is a city surrounded by the homonymous municipality located on the south-central coast of the Mexican state of Sonora. According to the 2005 census, the population of the city was 40,630 inhabitants, while the municipality, which has an area of 708.53 km2 (273.56 sq mi), reported 50,663 inhabitants. Except for its coastline on the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortes), the municipality is surrounded by the much larger municipality of Guaymas.