Saltillo

City

City of Saltillo

Coat of arms

Nickname(s): The Athens of Mexico, The Detroit of Mexico

Location of Saltillo within the municipality

Coordinates: 25°26′N 101°00′W / 25.433°N 101.000°WCoordinates: 25°26′N 101°00′W / 25.433°N 101.000°W

Country

Mexico

State

Coahuila

Founded

1577 (Alberto del Canto)

Government

• Mayor

Isidro López

Elevation

1,600 m (5,249 ft)

Population (2010)

• City

725,123

• Metro

823,128

• Demonym

Saltillense

Time zone

CST (UTC−6)

• Summer (DST)

CDT (UTC−5)

Website

www.saltillo.gob.mx

Saltillo (Spanish pronunciation: [salˈtiʝo]) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located about 258 kilometres (160 mi) west of the Texas border, and 87 kilometres (54 mi) west of Monterrey, Nuevo León.

As of the 2005 census, Saltillo had a population of 725,095 people. 823,098 people reside within the metropolitan area, making it the 19th biggest metro area in the country. The metro area comprises the municipalities of Saltillo, Ramos Arizpe, and Arteaga.

El Cerro del Pueblo (The People's Hill) and its 4-metre (13 ft) cross overlook the city. The city's elevation, at 1,600 metres (5,200 ft), makes it cooler and windier than the neighboring city of Monterrey. Saltillo lies near the city of Arteaga and in the Chihuahuan Desert. The city is flanked by the Zapalinamé mountains, which are part of the Sierra Madre Oriental. By looking at the relief of the mountains, one can see, according to local legend, the relief of Zapalinamé, chieftain of the Guachichil tribe.

Saltillo has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh, just avoiding arid designation). Saltillo is located in the Chihuahuan Desert but temperatures are cooler than other desert cities in Mexico because it is located in an altitude of 1,600 meters. Summers are slightly hot with cool nights, and winters are sunny but cool. Rainfall is scarce but more prominent in summer.

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Wikipedia