Mexico City

This article is about the capital of Mexico. For other uses, see Mexico City (disambiguation).

Mexico City
Ciudad de México (Spanish)
Co-official names[a]
Capital and megacity
Skyline of Mexico City with the Torre Latinoamericana
Angel of Independence
Museo Soumaya
Monument to the Revolution
Paseo de la Reforma from the Chapultepec Castle
Cathedral and National Palace in the Zócalo
Palace of Fine Arts
Santa Fe business district
Coat of arms of Mexico City
Coat of arms
Official logo of Mexico City
Government logo
Nickname(s): 
CDMX, La Ciudad de los Palacios
(The City of Palaces)
Motto(s): 
Ciudad Innovadora y de Derechos (A City with Innovation and Rights)
Anthem: Himno de la Ciudad de México[1]
Mexico City within Mexico
Mexico City within Mexico
Mexico City is located in Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City
Location within Mexico
Mexico City is located in North America
Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City (North America)
Coordinates: 19°26′N 99°8′W / 19.433°N 99.133°W / 19.433; -99.133
Country Mexico
Founded
    • 13 March 1325 (1325-03-13):
      Mexico-Tenochtitlan[2]
    • 13 August 1521 (1521-08-13):
      Ciudad de México[3]
    • 18 November 1824 (1824-11-18):
      Distrito Federal[4]
    • 29 January 2016 (2016-01-29):
      Ciudad de México[5]
Founded by
Government
 • MayorClara Brugada (MORENA)
Area
[6][b]
 • Capital and megacity
1,485 km2 (573 sq mi)
 • Metro
7,866 km2 (3,037 sq mi)
 Ranked 32nd
Elevation
2,240 m (7,350 ft)
Highest elevation
[7] (Ajusco)
3,930 m (12,890 ft)
Population
 (2020)[8]
 • Capital and megacity
9,209,944
 • Rank1st in North America
1st in Mexico
 • Density6,200/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
  • Rank1st
 • Urban
23,146,802
 • Metro
21,804,515
Demonyms
  • Capitalino (a)
  • Mexiqueño (a) (archaic)
  • Chilango (a) (colloquial)
GDP
[9]
 • Capital and megacityMXN 4.3 trillion
US$ 212 billion (2021)
 • Metro areaMXN 6.8 trillion
US$ 340 billion (2021)
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (CST)
Postal code
00–16
Area code55/56
ISO 3166 codeMX-CMX
Patron SaintPhilip of Jesus (Spanish: San Felipe de Jesús)
HDIIncrease 0.839 very high Ranked 1st of 32[10]
Websitecdmx.gob.mx
Official nameHistoric center of Mexico City, Xochimilco and Central University City Campus of the UNAM
TypeCultural
Criteriai, ii, iii, iv, v
Designated1987, 2007 (11th, 31st sessions)
Reference no.412, 1250
RegionLatin America and the Caribbean
^ b. Area of Mexico City that includes non-urban areas at the south

Mexico City[c] is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America.[14][15] It is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world.[16] Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico within the high Mexican central plateau, at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,350 ft). The city has 16 boroughs or demarcaciones territoriales, which are in turn divided into neighborhoods or colonias.

The 2020 population for the city proper was 9,209,944,[8] with a land area of 1,495 square kilometers (577 sq mi).[17] According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments, the population of Greater Mexico City is 21,804,515, which makes it the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the world, the second-largest urban agglomeration in the Western Hemisphere (behind São Paulo, Brazil), and the largest Spanish-speaking city (city proper) in the world.[18] Greater Mexico City has a GDP of $411 billion in 2011, which makes it one of the most productive urban areas in the world.[19] The city was responsible for generating 15.8% of Mexico's GDP, and the metropolitan area accounted for about 22% of the country's GDP.[20] If it were an independent country in 2013, Mexico City would be the fifth-largest economy in Latin America.[21]

Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of two founded by Indigenous people.[d] The city was originally built on a group of islands in Lake Texcoco by the Mexica around 1325, under the name Tenochtitlan. It was almost completely destroyed in the 1521 siege of Tenochtitlan and subsequently redesigned and rebuilt in accordance with the Spanish urban standards. In 1524, the municipality of Mexico City was established, known as México Tenochtitlán,[22] and as of 1585, it was officially known as Ciudad de México (Mexico City).[22] Mexico City played a major role in the Spanish colonial empire as a political, administrative, and financial center.[23] Following independence from Spain, the federal district was established in 1824.

After years of demanding greater political autonomy, residents were finally given the right to elect both a head of government and the representatives of the unicameral Legislative Assembly by election in 1997. Ever since, left-wing parties (first the Party of the Democratic Revolution and later the National Regeneration Movement) have controlled both of them.[24] The city has several progressive policies,[25][26] such as elective abortions,[27] a limited form of euthanasia,[28] no-fault divorce,[29] same-sex marriage,[30] and legal gender change.[31] On 29 January 2016, it ceased to be the Federal District (Spanish: Distrito Federal or D.F.) and is now officially known as Ciudad de México (or CDMX), with a greater degree of autonomy.[32][33] A clause in the Constitution of Mexico, however, prevents it from becoming a state within the Mexican federation, as long it remains the capital of the country.[34]


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  1. ^ "Presenta gobierno capitalino Himno de la Ciudad de México, primero en la historia en ser compuesto por una mujer". Secretariat of Culture of Mexico City (in Spanish). 20 June 2024. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores – México". Sre.gob.mx. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  3. ^ "De la Colonia / 13 agosto de 1521: rendición de México-Tenochtitlan". Redescolar.ilce.edu.mx. Archived from the original on 1 July 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Conmemora la SecretarĂa de Cultura el 185 Aniversario del Decreto de CreaciĂłn del Distrito Federal". Cultura.df.gob.mx. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  5. ^ Agren, David (29 January 2015). "Mexico City officially changes its name to – Mexico City". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Resumen". Cuentame INEGI. Archived from the original on 30 January 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Relieve". Cuentame INEGI. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Censo Población y Vivienda 2020". inegi.org.mx (in Spanish). INEGI. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  9. ^ Citibanamex (13 June 2023). "Indicadores Regionales de Actividad Económica 2023" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Mexico - Sub-national HDI". Global Data Lab. Radboud University Institute for Management Research. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  11. ^ "México" in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas by Royal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, Madrid: Santillana. 2005. ISBN 978-8-429-40623-8.
  12. ^ "IHUEYTLANAHUATIL MEXIHCO HUEYALTEPETL" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  13. ^ Maya: u noj kaajil México "U NOJ A'ALAMAJT'AANIL U NOJ KAAJIL MÉXICO" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Artículo 44" (PDF). Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  15. ^ Agren, David (29 January 2016). "Mexico City officially changes its name to – Mexico City". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  16. ^ "The 2008 Global Cities Index". Foreign Policy. 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  17. ^ Blouet, Brian W.; Blouet, Olwyn M. (2009). OECD Reviews of Regional Innovation OECD Reviews of Regional Innovation: 15 Mexican States 2009. OECD Publishing. pp. 418, 299. ISBN 978-92-64-06012-8.
  18. ^ United Nations (2019). "World Urbanization Prospects 2018" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  19. ^ Global MetroMonitor | Brookings Institution Archived 5 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Brookings.edu. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  20. ^ "Key Economic Facts and Figures". Mexico City Experience. Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  21. ^ Parish Flannery, Nathaniel (23 December 2013). "Mexico City Is Focusing on Tech Sector Development". Forbes. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  22. ^ a b Government of the Federal District. "Historia de la Ciudad de México" [History of Mexico City]. df.gob.mx (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 December 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  23. ^ United Nations. "Mexico City, Mexico" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  24. ^ Daniel C. Schechter, Josephine Quintero. Lonely Planet Mexico City, City Guide [With Pullout Map]. Third Edition. Lonely Planet, 2008. p. 288 (pp. 20–21). ISBN 978-1-74059-182-9.
  25. ^ Gallo, Rubén (6 April 2021). "A Chronicle of Mexico City and Its Multitudes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  26. ^ Lopez Torregrosa, Luisita (27 April 2017). "My Mexico City is everyone's now". The Seattle Times. Mexico City. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Mexico's Quintana Roo state decriminalises abortion". Al Jazeera. 26 October 2022. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  28. ^ Linares, Albinson (21 October 2021). "These people want to die. Will their countries allow euthanasia?". NBC News. Telemundo. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  29. ^ Malkin, Elisabeth (21 July 2009). "Express Route to Divorce Has Familiar Delays". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  30. ^ "Mexico City legalises same-sex marriage". The Guardian. Associated Press. 22 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  31. ^ Hogue, Tom (25 June 2023). "Mexico City holds mass celebration for same-sex weddings, gender ID changes". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  32. ^ Richards, Tony (30 January 2016). "Federal District is now officially Mexico City: The change brings more autonomy for the country's capital". Mexico News Daily. Archived from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  33. ^ "From DF to CDMX, Mexico City changes name, status". Inquirer News. Agence France-Presse. 30 January 2016. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022.
  34. ^ "La Ciudad de México no será estado, sino entidad federal autónoma". Diario de México (in Spanish). 28 January 2016. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.