Nuevo León

Nuevo León
Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León
Estado Libre y Soberano de Nuevo León (Spanish)
Motto: 
Semper Ascendens
(Always Ascending)
Anthem: Himno de Nuevo León
State of Nuevo León within Mexico
Coordinates: 25°34′N 99°58′W / 25.567°N 99.967°W / 25.567; -99.967
CountryMexico
Capital
and largest city
Monterrey
Largest metroGreater Monterrey
AdmissionMay 7, 1824
Order15th
Government
  Governor Samuel García Sepúlveda
  Senators Waldo Fernández González

Blanca Judith Díaz Delgado

Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas
  Deputies
Area
  Total
64,156 km2 (24,771 sq mi)
 Ranked 13th
Highest elevation3,710 m (12,208 ft)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
5,784,442
  Rank7th
  Density90/km2 (230/sq mi)
   Rank14th
DemonymNeoleonés
GDP
  TotalMXN 2.349 trillion
(US$116.9 billion) (2022)
  Per capita(US$19,452) (2022)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
Postal code
64–67
Area code
ISO 3166 codeMX-NLE
HDI 0.816 very high Ranked 3rd of 32
WebsiteOfficial Web Site

Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosi, and has an extremely narrow international border with the U.S. state of Texas. Covering 64,156 square kilometers (24,771 square miles) and with a population of 5.78 million people, Nuevo León is the thirteenth-largest federal entity by area and the seventh-most populous as of 2020.

Monterrey, the state's capital, is the most populous city in Nuevo León and the ninth-largest in Mexico. Monterrey is part of the Monterrey metropolitan area, the second-largest metropolitan area in the country with an estimated population of 5.3 million people in 2020. About 92% of the state's population lives in the metropolitan area.

Prior to European colonization, Nuevo León was home to various nomadic groups, known as chichimecas to the Spaniards. Stemming from Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva's expedition in 1580, the New Kingdom of León was established, encompassing present-day Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Texas, but permanent settlement did not occur until 1592. In 1824, Nuevo León became a state of Mexico following the country's successful war for independence. The state began industrializing in the late 19th century and early 20th century, establishing various large companies, which accelerated after the Mexican Revolution. Today, Nuevo León is a major manufacturing hub with one of Mexico's largest economies.