Quick answerGuadalajara is a city in Mexico, with 1,385,629 people inside the city limits in 2020. The wider metropolitan area had about 5.3 million people in 2020. It is best known for the Mariachi music, the Tequila and the Hospicio Cabañas. Its official language is Spanish, and its currency is the Mexican peso.
Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco state in western Mexico, with about 1.4 million people inside the city limits and about 5.3 million in the metropolitan area (2020). It is the home of mariachi music and tequila, and its historic centre holds the cathedral and the Hospicio Cabañas.
Key facts
| Country | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 1,385,629 (2020) |
| Population (metro) | 5,268,642 (2020) · Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, 2020 census (INEGI) |
| Elevation | 1566 m above sea level |
| Time zone | America/Mexico_City |
| Language | Spanish |
| Currency | Mexican peso (MXN, $) |
| Coordinates | 20.6767° N, 103.3475° W |
Overview
Guadalajara is the capital and largest city of Jalisco, in western Mexico, and the second largest metropolitan area in the country after Mexico City. The municipality had 1,385,629 residents in the 2020 census, while the metropolitan area, which includes Zapopan, Tlaquepaque and Tonala, held 5,268,642 people. The city sits at 1,566 metres above sea level in a valley ringed by low hills.
Founded in 1542, Guadalajara grew as a colonial city and a trading centre for the farms and ranches of western Mexico. Its historic centre keeps the cathedral, the Teatro Degollado and the Hospicio Cabañas, a former orphanage and hospital that is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the murals of Jose Clemente Orozco.
Guadalajara is best known as the home of mariachi music, tequila and birria, the slow-cooked meat stew. The town of Tequila, where the spirit takes its name, lies about 60 kilometres to the north-west. The city also hosts the Guadalajara International Film Festival and the International Book Fair, one of the largest in the Spanish-speaking world.
What Guadalajara is known for
- Mariachi music
- Tequila
- Hospicio Cabañas
- Birria
- Guadalajara Cathedral
- Mexican handicrafts
Landmarks
- Guadalajara Cathedral
- Hospicio Cabañas
- Teatro Degollado
- Plaza de los Mariachis
- Tlaquepaque
- Lake Chapala (nearby)
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Guadalajara?
About 1.4 million people live inside the Guadalajara city limits (1,385,629 in the 2020 census, according to INEGI). The wider metropolitan area, which includes Zapopan, Tlaquepaque and Tonala, had about 5.3 million people in 2020, making it the second largest metropolitan area in Mexico.
Where is Guadalajara and what is it known for?
Guadalajara is in western Mexico, in the state of Jalisco, about 550 kilometres north-west of Mexico City. It is the state capital and is known as the home of mariachi music and tequila, for the Hospicio Cabañas, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and for birria, its slow-cooked meat stew.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Mexico — the country Guadalajara is in
- Mexico City — another city in Mexico
- Puebla — another city in Mexico
- Monterrey — another city in Mexico
- All cities in Mexico
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Guadalajara
- INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography), via Wikipedia
- Wikipedia — Greater Guadalajara
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.