State of Coahuila de Zaragoza

Update: September 1, 2023.

The State of Coahuila de Zaragoza (generally called just "Coahuila") is located in northern Mexico, and is one of six states bordering the USA. In August 1824 began the so-called "Legislatura Constituyente del Estado de Coahuila y Texas", but in 1848, after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the territory of Texas was no longer part of this state and also of Mexico.

More than 3,100,000 people live in Coahuila, and the majority of the population (92%) is urban. Only 8% of Coahuilenses reside in rural areas. The towns with the most inhabitants, according to the 2020 census, are Saltillo (864,431 people), Torreón (690,193), Monclova (237,169) and Piedras Negras (173,959).

The proximity to the U.S. has helped Coahuila to have several factories that supply the U.S. market as well as the Mexican market. For example, Coahuila is one of the Mexican states where the largest number of automobiles and auto parts are manufactured: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has a plant in Saltillo, and General Motors manufactures thousands of units of its Chevrolet Cruze or Cheyenne per year in the town of Ramos Arizpe. In addition, the largest integrated steel plant in Mexico, Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA), is located in Monclova.

The vast majority of Coahuila's territory has a dry climate, and only in the southern sierras (San Antonio and Tampiquill) is there a mild sub-humid climate. The highest temperatures (slightly higher than 30 degrees Celsius), are observed from May to August, and in summer they are scarce, mainly in July and August. Thanks to this climate, Coahuila is known throughout Mexico for its excellent nut, cotton and melon crops.

There are several endangered animal species in Coahuila, such as the American bison, the golden eagle and the coyote, and other species with larger numbers, such as the armadillo, the North American badger (called "tlacoyote" in Mexico), the red deer and the puma. The vast majority of Coahuila's surface is covered by scrubland, although there are also grasslands in the northwest, along the border with the USA and Chihuahua. Of course, we can also find prickly pear cactus and mesquite, as well as fir trees in various mountainous areas.

On your tourist trip to Coahuila you cannot miss a visit to the city of Saltillo, known as "the Athens of Mexico". Apart from walking through its streets, you can discover the culture through its museums (the Museo del Desierto, the Museum of the Mexican Revolution, the Museum of Birds, or the Sarape and Mexican Costumes Museum) or enter its Santiago Cathedral. Enjoy also its famous Magical Towns: Guerrero, Arteaga, Viesca, Parras de la Fuente (and contemplate the sunset in its Bats Cave), Cuatro Ciénegas de Carranza, Melchor Múzquiz and Candela. In the Parras Valley you can also take the "Wine Route", because the State of Coahuila is also known for its large number of vineyards and the quality of its wines.

And if you are in Coahuila, of course you have to taste its most typical dishes, such as discada (also known as "chatarra", which includes pork leg), gorditas, tamales, and "burnt milk" and other milk and nut sweets that are usually served inside popular cones.

List of Municipalities in the State of Coahuila de Zaragoza. Click on the names of the Municipalities to find towns, cities, communities and villages in the State.