Poza Rica

Poza Rica
Poza Rica de Hidalgo
Top: Panoramic view of Poza Rica; Middle: Poza Rica City Hall, Juárez Park; Bottom: 18 March Dome, Oil workers monument
Official seal of Poza Rica
Poza Rica is located in Veracruz
Poza Rica
Poza Rica
Location in Mexico
Poza Rica is located in Mexico
Poza Rica
Poza Rica
Poza Rica (Mexico)
Coordinates: 20°32′N 97°27′W / 20.533°N 97.450°W / 20.533; -97.450
Country Mexico
StateVeracruz
RegionTotonaca Region
FoundedNovember 20, 1951
Government
 • MayorFernando Luis Remes Garza (MORENA)
Area
 • Total
64 km2 (25 sq mi)
Elevation
50 m (160 ft)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
189,457
 • Density2,962.6/km2 (7,673/sq mi)
 • Seat
180,057
 • Metro
521,080
 • Metro density186.65/km2 (483.4/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (US Central))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (Central)
Postal code
93261
Area code782
WebsiteGobierno de Poza Rica
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1995 154,586—    
2000 152,838−1.1%
2005 181,438+18.7%
2010 193,311+6.5%
2015 200,119+3.5%
2020 189,457−5.3%
[1]

Poza Rica (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈposa ˈrika]), formally: Poza Rica de Hidalgo is a city and its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Its name means "rich well/pond". It is often thought that the name came to be because it was a place known for its abundance of oil. In reality, before oil was discovered, there existed a pond rich in fish, which gave origin to the city’s name. In the 20th century oil was discovered in the area. It has since been almost completely extracted. This has resulted in the decline of oil well exploration and drilling activities, though there are still many oil facilities.

The city shares borders with the municipalities of Papantla, Tihuatlán, and Coatzintla, and stands on Federal Highway 180. The archaeological zone of El Tajín is located approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) from Poza Rica. The area is tropical, with two beaches within one hour, Tuxpan, and Tecolutla, and one within 40 minutes east, Cazones. Mexico City is about 220 kilometers (140 mi) from Poza Rica.Unlike most Mexican cities, it does not have old buildings because it is a new city founded officially on November 20, 1951. For that reason it has contemporary architecture with well-lined and designed streets with a modern look.

While the petroleum industry features heavily amongst the industrial landscape in Poza Rica, the city also has a wide variety of other industries with a large middle class. As one of the largest and most populous cities in Veracruz, Poza Rica is an important industrial and commercial center, and a central hub for several road transportation lines. The city has recently seen much growth, with several shopping malls opening around the city. The city had an official population of 180,057 inhabitants and the municipality had 189,457 at the census of 2020.[1] However, the Poza Rica metropolitan area, which includes the municipalities of Cazones de Herrera, Coatzintla, Papantla and Tihuatlán, showed a total population of 521,080.