Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida | |
|---|---|
City | |
Above, from left to right: San Ildefonso Cathedral, the Canton Palace, the Monument to the Fatherland, the Municipal Palace, the Glorieta de la Paz, the Great Museum of the Maya World and a view of the Country Towers. | |
| Nickname: "La Ciudad Blanca" (The White City) | |
| Coordinates: 20°58′N 89°37′W / 20.967°N 89.617°W | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Yucatán |
| Municipality | Mérida |
| City founded | January 6, 1542 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Cecilia Patrón Laviada (2024–2027) (PAN) |
| Area | |
• City | 833 km2 (322 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 921,771 |
| • Rank | 34th in North America 12th in Mexico 1st in the Yucatán |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (3,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,201,000 (2022) |
| Demonym | Meridiano |
| GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total | $26.1 billion |
| • Per capita | $21,400 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| Postal code | 97000 |
| Area code | 999 |
| Major airport | Mérida International Airport |
| IATA Code | MID |
| ICAO Code | MMMD |
| INEGI Code | 310500001 |
| Climate | Aw |
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Mérida (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmeɾiða] ⓘ, Yucatec Maya: Joꞌ) is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico. The city is also the seat of the eponymous municipality. It is located slightly inland from the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula, about 35 km (22 mi) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2020, it had a population of 921,770 while its metropolitan area, which also includes the cities of Kanasín and Umán, had a population of 1,316,090.
Mérida is also the cultural and financial capital of the Yucatán Peninsula. The city's rich cultural heritage is a product of the syncretism of the Maya and Spanish cultures during the colonial era. The Cathedral of Mérida, Yucatán was built in the late 16th century with stones from nearby Maya ruins and is the oldest cathedral in the mainland Americas. The city has the third largest old town district on the continent. It was the first city to be named American Capital of Culture, and the only city that has received the title twice.
Mérida is among the safest cities of Mexico as well as in the Americas. In 2015, the city was certified as an International Safe Community by the Karolinska Institute of Sweden for its high level of public security. Forbes has ranked Mérida three times as one of the three best cities in Mexico to live, invest and do business. In 2022, the UN-Habitat's City Prosperity Index recognized Mérida as the city with the highest quality of life in Mexico.