Up until 2013, it was common to refer to the city by the initialism "DF" fromDistrito Federal de México. Since 2013, use of the abbreviation "CDMX" (Ciudad de México) has been more common, particularly by government.
The city is colloquially known asChilangolandia after the locals' nicknamechilangos.[36] Chilango is used pejoratively by people living outside Mexico City to "connote a loud, arrogant, ill-mannered, loutish person".[37] For their part those living in Mexico City designate insultingly those who live elsewhere as living inla provincia ('the provinces', 'the periphery') and many proudly embrace the term chilango.[37] Residents of Mexico City are formally calledcapitalinos (in reference to the city being the capital of the country), but "[p]erhaps because capitalino is the more polite, specific, and correct word, it is almost never utilized".[38]
Mexico City was traditionally known asLa Ciudad de los Palacios ("the City of the Palaces"), anickname attributed to BaronAlexander von Humboldt when visiting the city in the 19th century, who, sending a letter back to Germany, said Mexico City could rival any major city in Europe. But it was English politicianCharles Latrobe who really penned the following: "... look at their works: the moles, aqueducts, churches, roads—and the luxuriousCity of Palaces which has risen from the clay-built ruins of Tenochtitlan...", on page 84 of the Letter V ofThe Rambler in Mexico.[39]
The oldest signs of human occupation in the area of Mexico City are those of the "Peñón woman" and others found in San Bartolo Atepehuacan (Gustavo A. Madero). They were believed to correspond to the lower Cenolithic period (9500–7000 BC).[42] However, a 2003 study placed the age of the Peñon woman at 12,700 years old (calendar age),[43] one of the oldest human remains discovered in the Americas. Studies of her mitochondrial DNA suggest she was either of Asian[44] or European[45] or Aboriginal Australian origin.[46]
The area was the destination of the migrations of theTeochichimecas during the 8th and 13th centuries, people that would give rise to theToltec, andMexica (Aztecs) cultures. The latter arrived around the 14th century to settle first on the shores of the lake.
Between 1325 and 1521, Tenochtitlan grew in size and strength, eventually dominating the other city-states aroundLake Texcoco and in the Valley of Mexico. When the Spaniards arrived, theAztec Empire had reached much ofMesoamerica, touching both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.[49]
After landing inVeracruz, Spanish explorerHernán Cortés advanced upon Tenochtitlan with the aid of many of the other native peoples,[50]arriving there on 8 November 1519.[51] Cortés and his men marched along the causeway leading into the city fromIztapalapa (Ixtapalapa), and the city's ruler,Moctezuma II, greeted the Spaniards; they exchanged gifts, but the camaraderie did not last long.[52] Cortés put Moctezuma underhouse arrest at hisfather's palace, hoping to rule through him.[53]
Tensions increased until, on the night of 30 June 1520 – during a struggle known as "La Noche Triste" – the Aztecs rose up against the Spanish intrusion and managed to capture or drive out the Europeans and theirTlaxcalan allies.[54] Cortés regrouped at Tlaxcala. The Aztecs thought the Spaniards were permanently gone, and they elected a new king,Cuitláhuac, but he soon died; the next king wasCuauhtémoc.[55] Cortés began asiege of Tenochtitlan in May 1521. For three months, the city suffered from the lack of food and water as well as the spread ofsmallpox brought by the Europeans.[50] Cortés and his allies landed their forces in the south of the island and slowly fought their way through the city.[56] Cuauhtémoc surrendered in August 1521.[50] The Spaniards practically razed Tenochtitlan during the final siege of the conquest.[51]
Cortés first settled inCoyoacán, but decided to rebuild the Aztec site to erase all traces of the old order.[51] He did not establish a territory under his ownpersonal rule, but remained loyal to the Spanish crown. The first Spanishviceroy arrived in Mexico City fourteen years later. By that time, the city had again become acity-state, having power that extended far beyond its borders.[57] Although the Spanish preserved Tenochtitlan's basic layout, they builtCatholic churches over the old Aztec temples and claimed the imperial palaces for themselves.[57] Tenochtitlan was renamed "Mexico" because the Spanish found the word easier to pronounce.[51]
Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral's (1571–1813) 18th century painting. The cathedral was built by the Spaniards over the ruins of the main Aztec temple.
The city had been the capital of theAztec Empire and in the colonial era, Mexico City became the capital ofNew Spain. Theviceroy of Mexico or vice-king lived in the viceregal palace on the main square orZócalo. TheMexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishopric of New Spain, was constructed on another side of the Zócalo, as was the archbishop's palace, and across from it the building housing the city council orayuntamiento of the city. A late seventeenth-century painting of the Zócalo byCristóbal de Villalpando depicts the main square, which had been the old Aztec ceremonial center. The existing central plaza of the Aztecs was effectively and permanently transformed to the ceremonial center and seat of power during the colonial period, and remains to this day in modern Mexico, the central plaza of the nation. The rebuilding of the city after the siege of Tenochtitlan was accomplished by the abundant indigenous labor in the surrounding area. Franciscan friarToribio de Benavente Motolinia, one of theTwelve Apostles of Mexico who arrived in New Spain in 1524, described the rebuilding of the city as one of the afflictions or plagues of the early period:
The seventh plague was the construction of the great City of Mexico, which, during the early years used more people than in the construction of Jerusalem. The crowds of laborers were so numerous that one could hardly move in the streets and causeways, although they are very wide. Many died from being crushed by beams, or falling from high places, or in tearing down old buildings for new ones.[58]
Mexico City in 1690. Atlas Van der Hagen.
Preconquest Tenochtitlan was built in the center of the inland lake system, with the city reachable bycanoe and by wide causeways to the mainland. The causeways were rebuilt under Spanish rule with indigenous labor. Colonial Spanish cities were constructed on a grid pattern, if no geographical obstacle prevented it. In Mexico City, the Zócalo (main square) was the central place from which the grid was then built outward. The Spanish lived in the area closest to the main square in what was known as thetraza, in orderly, well laid-out streets. Indigenous residences were outside that exclusive zone and houses were haphazardly located.[59] The Zócalo was a center of commerce for indigenous people, making Spanish efforts to keep the area segregated difficult to enforce.[60] At intervals Zócalo was where major celebrations took place as well as executions. It was also the site of two major riots in the seventeenth century, one in 1624, the other in 1692.[61]
The city grew as the population did, coming up against the lake's waters. As the depth of the lake water fluctuated, Mexico City was subject to periodic flooding. A major labor draft, thedesagüe, compelled thousands of indigenous over the colonial period to work on infrastructure to prevent flooding. Floods were not only an inconvenience but also a health hazard, since during flood periods human waste polluted the city's streets. By draining the area, the mosquito population dropped as did the frequency of the diseases they spread. However, draining the wetlands also changed the habitat for fish and birds and the areas accessible for indigenous cultivation close to the capital.[62] The 16th century saw a proliferation of churches, many of which can still be seen today in thehistoric center.[57]Economically, Mexico City prospered as a result of trade. Unlike Brazil orPeru, Mexico had easy contact with both the Atlantic and Pacific worlds. Although the Spanish crown tried to completely regulate all commerce in the city, it had only partial success.[63]
Palacio de Minería, Mexico City. The elevation of silver mining as a profession and the ennoblement of silver miners was a development of the eighteenth-centuryBourbon Reforms.
The concept ofnobility flourished in New Spain in a way not seen in other parts of the Americas. Spaniards encountered a society in which the concept of nobility mirrored that of their own. Spaniards respected the indigenous order of nobility and added to it. In the ensuing centuries, possession of anoble title in Mexico did not mean one exercised great political power, for one's power was limited even if the accumulation of wealth was not.[64] The concept of nobility in Mexico was not political but rather a very conservative Spanish social one, based on proving the worthiness of the family. Most of these families proved their worth by making fortunes in New Spain outside of the city itself, then spending the revenues in the capital, building churches, supporting charities and building extravagant palatial homes. The craze to build the most opulent residence possible reached its height in the last half of the 18th century. Many of these palaces can still be seen today, leading to Mexico City's nickname of "The city of palaces" given byAlexander Von Humboldt.[51][57][64]
TheGrito de Dolores ("Cry of Dolores"), also known as El Grito de la Independencia ("Cry of Independence"), marked the beginning of theMexican War of Independence. The Battle of Guanajuato, the first major engagement of the insurgency, occurred four days later. After a decade of war, Mexico's independence from Spain was effectively declared in the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire on 27 September 1821.[65]Agustín de Iturbide is proclaimed Emperor of theFirst Mexican Empire by Congress, crowned in theCathedral of Mexico.
During the 19th century, Mexico City was the center stage of all the political disputes of the country. It was the imperial capital on two occasions (1821–1823 and 1864–1867), and of twofederalist states and twocentralist states that followed innumerable coups d'états in the space of half a century before the triumph of the Liberals after theReform War. It was also the objective of one of the two French invasions to Mexico (1861–1867), and occupied for a year by American troops in the framework of theMexican–American War (1847–1848).
TheBattle for Mexico City was the series of engagements from 8 to 15 September 1847, in the general vicinity of Mexico City during theU.S. Mexican War. Included are major actions at the battles ofMolino del Rey andChapultepec, culminating with the fall of Mexico City. The U.S. Army under Winfield Scott scored a major success that ended the war. The American invasion into the Federal District was first resisted during theBattle of Churubusco on 8 August, where theSaint Patrick's Battalion, which was composed primarily of Catholic Irish and German immigrants but also Canadians, English, French, Italians, Poles, Scots, Spaniards, Swiss, and Mexicans, fought for the Mexican cause, repelling the American attacks. After defeating theSaint Patrick's Battalion, the Mexican–American War came to a close after the United Statesdeployedcombat units deep intoMexico resulting in the capture of Mexico City andVeracruz by theU.S. Army's 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4thDivisions.[68] The invasion culminated with the storming ofChapultepec Castle in the city itself.[69]
During this battle, on 13 September, the 4th Division, underJohn A. Quitman, spearheaded the attack against Chapultepec and carried the castle. FutureConfederate generalsGeorge E. Pickett andJames Longstreet participated in the attack. Serving in the Mexican defense were the cadets later immortalized asLos Niños Héroes (the "Boy Heroes"). The Mexican forces fell back from Chapultepec and retreated within the city. Attacks on the Belén and San Cosme Gates came afterwards. Thetreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in what is now the far north of the city.[70]
Corpses in front of the National Palace during theTen Tragic Days. Photographer, Manuel Ramos.[71]
The capital escaped the worst of the violence of the ten-year conflict of theMexican Revolution. The most significant episode of this period for the city was theDecena Trágica ("Ten Tragic Days") of February 1913, when forces counter to the elected government ofFrancisco I. Madero staged a successful coup. The center of the city was subjected to artillery attacks from the army stronghold of theciudadela or citadel, with significant civilian casualties and the undermining of confidence in the Madero government.Victoriano Huerta, chief general of theFederal Army, saw a chance to take power, forcing Madero and Pino Suarez to sign resignations. The two were murdered later while on their way toLecumberri prison.[72] Huerta's ouster in July 1914 saw the entry of the armies ofPancho Villa andEmiliano Zapata, but the city did not experience violence. Huerta had abandoned the capital and the conquering armies marched in.Venustiano Carranza'sConstitutionalist faction ultimately prevailed in the revolutionary civil war and Carranza took up residence in the presidential palace.
In the 20th century the phenomenal growth of the city and its environmental and political consequences dominate. In 1900, the population of Mexico City was about 500,000.[73] The city began to grow rapidly westward in the early part of the 20th century[57] and then began to grow upwards in the 1950s, with theTorre Latinoamericana becoming the city's first skyscraper.[50]
The1968 Olympic Games brought about the construction of large sporting facilities.[57] In 1969, theMexico City Metro was inaugurated.[50] Explosive growth in the population of the city started in the 1960s, with the population overflowing the boundaries of the Federal District into the neighboring State of Mexico, especially to the north, northwest, and northeast. Between 1960 and 1980 the city's population more than doubled to nearly 9 million.[57]
In 1980, half of all the industrial jobs in Mexico were located in Mexico City. Under relentless growth, the Mexico City government could barely keep up with services. Villagers from the countryside who continued to pour into the city to escape poverty only compounded the city's problems. With no housing available, they took over lands surrounding the city, creating hugeshanty towns.
The inhabitants of Mexico City faced seriousair pollution andwater pollution problems, as well asgroundwater-related subsidence.[75] Air and water pollution has been contained and improved in several areas due to government programs, the renovation of vehicles and the modernization of public transportation.
The autocratic government that ruled Mexico City since the Revolution was tolerated, mostly because of the continued economic expansion since World War II. This was the case even though this government could not handle the population and pollution problems adequately. Nevertheless, discontent and protests began in the 1960s leading to themassacre of an unknown number of protesting students inTlatelolco.[76]
Three years later, a demonstration in the Maestros avenue, organized by former members of the 1968 student movement, was violently repressed by a paramilitary group called "Los Halcones", composed of gang members and teenagers from many sports clubs who received training in the US.
On 19 September 1985, at 7:19amCST, the area was struck by the1985 Mexico City earthquake.[77] The earthquake proved to be a disaster politically for theone-party state government. The Mexican government was paralyzed by its own bureaucracy and corruption, forcing ordinary citizens to create and direct their own rescue efforts and to reconstruct much of the housing that was lost as well.[78]
Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico, sometimes called the Basin of Mexico. This valley is located in theTrans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in the high plateaus of south-central Mexico.[79][80]
It has a minimum altitude of 2,200 meters (7,200 feet)above sea level and is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes that reach elevations of over 5,000 meters (16,000 feet).[81] This valley has no natural drainage outlet for the waters that flow from the mountainsides, making the city vulnerable to flooding. Drainage was engineered through the use of canals and tunnels starting in the 17th century.[79][81]
Mexico City primarily rests on what wasLake Texcoco.[79] Seismic activity is frequent there.[82] Lake Texcoco was drained starting from the 17th century. Although none of the lake waters remain, the city rests on the lake bed's heavily saturated clay. This soft base is collapsing due to the over-extraction of groundwater, calledgroundwater-related subsidence.
Since the beginning of the 20th century the city has sunk as much as nine meters (30 feet) in some areas, and it continues to sink almost 50 centimetres (20 in) every year.[83] This sinking is causing problems with runoff and wastewater management, leading to flooding problems, especially during the summer.[81][82][84] The entire lake bed is now paved over and most of the city's remaining forested areas lie in the southern boroughs ofMilpa Alta,Tlalpan andXochimilco.[82]
Originally much of the valley lay beneath the waters ofLake Texcoco, a system of interconnected salt and freshwater lakes. TheAztecs built dikes to separate thefresh water used to raise crops inchinampas and to prevent recurrent floods. These dikes were destroyed during the siege of Tenochtitlan, and during colonial times the Spanish regularly drained the lake to prevent floods. Only a small section of the original lake remains, located outside Mexico City, in the municipality ofAtenco,State of Mexico.
ArchitectsTeodoro González de León andAlberto Kalach along with a group of Mexican urbanists, engineers and biologists have developed the project plan forRecovering the City of Lakes. If approved by the government the project will contribute to the supply of water from natural sources to theValley of Mexico, the creation of new natural spaces, a great improvement in air quality, and greater population establishment planning.
Air pollution over Mexico City. Air quality is poorest during the winter.
By the 1990s Mexico City had become infamous as one of the world's most polluted cities; however, the city has since become a model for drastically lowering pollution levels. By 2014carbon monoxide pollution had dropped drastically, whilesulfur dioxide andnitrogen dioxide were at levels about a third of those in 1992. The levels of signature pollutants in Mexico City are similar to those ofLos Angeles.[85] Despite the cleanup, the metropolitan area is still the mostozone-polluted part of the country, with ozone levels 2.5 times beyondWHO-defined safe limits.[86]
To clean up pollution, the federal and local governments implemented numerous plans including the constant monitoring and reporting of environmental conditions, such as ozone andnitrogen oxides.[87] When the levels of these two pollutants reached critical levels, contingency actions were implemented which included closing factories, changing school hours, and extending theA day without a car program to two days of the week.[87] The government also instituted industrial technology improvements, a strict biannual vehicle emission inspection and the reformulation of gasoline anddiesel fuels.[87] The introduction ofMetrobúsbus rapid transit and theEcobici bike-sharing were among efforts to encourage alternate, greener forms of transportation.[86]
TheChapultepec was an important park during the Aztecs whose access had been limited to itsnobility, was declared open to the public by a decree ofCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1530,[88][89] it is one of the world's largest city parks.[88]
Mexico City has three zoos.Chapultepec Zoo, theSan Juan de Aragon Zoo [es;no] andLos Coyotes Zoo. Chapultepec Zoo is located in the first section of Chapultepec Park in the Miguel Hidalgo. It was opened in 1924.[93] Visitors can see about 243 specimens of different species including kangaroos, giant panda, gorillas, caracal, hyena, hippos, jaguar, giraffe, lemur, lion, among others.[94] Zoo San Juan de Aragon is near the San Juan de Aragon Park in the Gustavo A. Madero. In this zoo, opened in 1964,[95] there are species that are in danger of extinction such as the jaguar and the Mexican wolf. Other guests are the golden eagle, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, caracara, zebras, African elephant, macaw, hippo, among others.[96] Zoo Los Coyotes is a 27.68-acre (11.2 ha) zoo located south of Mexico City in the Coyoacan. It was inaugurated on 2 February 1999.[97] It has more than 301 specimens of 51 species of wild native or endemic fauna from the area, featuring eagles, ajolotes, coyotes, macaws, bobcats, Mexican wolves, raccoons, mountain lions, teporingos, foxes, white-tailed deer.[98]
Mexico City has asubtropical highland climate (Köppen climate classificationCwb), due to its tropical location but high elevation. The lower region of the valley receives less rainfall than the upper regions of the south; the lower boroughs ofIztapalapa,Iztacalco,Venustiano Carranza and the east portion ofGustavo A. Madero are usually drier and warmer than the upper southern boroughs ofTlalpan andMilpa Alta, a mountainous region ofpine andoak trees known as the range ofAjusco. The average annual temperature varies from 12 to 16 °C (54 to 61 °F), depending on the altitude of the borough. The temperature is rarely below 3 °C (37 °F) or above 30 °C (86 °F).[99] At the Tacubaya observatory, the lowest temperature ever registered was −4.4 °C (24 °F) on 13 February 1960, and the highest temperature on record was 34.7 °C (94.5 °F) on 25 May 2024.[100] Overall precipitation is heavily concentrated in the summer months, and includes densehail.
Snow falls in the city scarcely, although somewhat more often on nearby mountaintops. Throughout its history, the Central Valley of Mexico was accustomed to having several snowfalls per decade (including a period between 1878 and 1895 in which every single year—except 1880—recorded snowfalls[101]), mostlylake-effect snow. The effects of the draining ofLake Texcoco andglobal warming have greatly reduced snowfalls after the snow flurries of 12 February 1907.[102] Since 1908, snow has only fallen thrice: snow on 14 February 1920;[103] snow flurries on 14 March 1940;[104] and on 12 January 1967, when 8 centimeters (3 in) of snow fell on the city, the most on record.[105] The 1967 snowstorm coincided with the operation ofDeep Drainage System that resulted in the total draining of what was left of Lake Texcoco.[101][106] After the disappearance of Lake Texcoco, snow has never fallen again over Mexico City.[101] The region of theValley of Mexico receivesanti-cyclonic systems. The weak winds of these systems do not allow for the dispersion, outside the basin, of theair pollutants which are produced by the 50,000 industries and 4 million vehicles operating in and around the metropolitan area.[107]
The area receives about 820 millimeters (32 in) of annual rainfall, which is concentrated from May through October with little or no precipitation for the remainder of the year.[81] The area has two main seasons. The wet humid summer runs from May to October when winds bring in tropical moisture from the sea, the wettest month being July. The cool sunny winter runs from November to April, when the air is relatively drier, the driest month being December. This season is subdivided into a cold winter period and a warm spring period. The cold period spans from November to February, when polarair masses push down from the north and keep the air fairly dry. The warm period extends from March to May when subtropical winds again dominate but do not yet carry enough moisture for rain to form.[108]
Climate data for Ciudad de México (Tacubaya), normals 1991–2020, extremes 1877–2024
Historically, and sincePre-Columbian times, theValley of Anahuac has been one of the most densely populated areas in Mexico. When the Federal District was created in 1824, the urban area of Mexico City extended approximately to the area of today'sCuauhtémoc borough. At the beginning of the 20th century,theelites[clarify] began migrating to the south and west and soon the small towns ofMixcoac andSan Ángel were incorporated by the growing conurbation. According to the 1921 census, 54.78% of the city's population was considered Mestizo (Indigenous mixed with European), 22.79% considered European, and 18.74% considered Indigenous.[114][failed verification]
Up to the 1990s, the Federal District was the most populousfederal entity in Mexico, but since then, its population has remained stable at around 8.7 million. The growth of the city has extended beyond the limits of the city proper to 59 municipalities of theState of Mexico and 1 in the state ofHidalgo.[115] With a population of approximately 19.8 million inhabitants (2008),[116] it is one of themost populous conurbations in the world. Nonetheless, the annual rate of growth of theMetropolitan Area of Mexico City is much lower than that of other large urban agglomerations in Mexico,[117] a phenomenon most likely attributable to theenvironmental policy of decentralization. Thenet migration rate of Mexico City from 1995 to 2000 was negative.[118]
The metropolitan area,Greater Mexico City ('Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México' or 'ZMVM' in Spanish) consists of Mexico City itself plus 60 municipalities in theState of Mexico and one inHidalgo state. With a population of 21,804,515 (2020 census), Greater Mexico City is both the biggest and the densestmetropolitan area in the country. Of the ca. 21.8 million, 9.2 million live in Mexico City proper[8] and 12.4 million in the State of Mexico (ca. 75% of the state's population), including the municipalities of:[8]
The Mexico City Megalopolis as defined prior to 2019. Since then Querétaro state is also included.
Greater Mexico City, in turn, forms part of an even largermegalopolis officially known as theCorona regional del centro de México (Mexico City megalopolis), with a population of 33.4 million, more than one quarter of the country's population according to the 2020 census. The megalopolis as defined by the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe) covers Mexico City and the states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, and since 2019, Querétaro,[119] thus encompassing the metropolitan areas of Mexico City,Puebla,Querétaro,Toluca,Cuernavaca,Pachuca, and others.[120]
Greater Mexico City was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the country until the late 1980s. Since then, government policies have supported decentralization with the aim of reducing pollution in Greater Mexico City. While still growing, the annual rate of growth has decreased and is lower than that ofGreater Guadalajara andGreater Monterrey.[117]
Thenet migration rate of Mexico City proper from 1995 to 2000 was negative,[121] which implies that residents are moving to the suburbs of the metropolitan area, or to other states of Mexico. In addition, some inner suburbs are losing population to outer suburbs, indicating the continuing expansion of Greater Mexico City.
Representing around 18.74% of the city's population,indigenous peoples from different areas of Mexico have migrated to the capital in search of better economic opportunities.Nahuatl,Otomi,Mixtec,Zapotec andMazahua are the indigenous languages with the greatest number of speakers in Mexico City.[126] According to the 2020 Census, 2.03% of Mexico City's population identified as Black,Afro-Mexican, or of African descent.[127]
Mexico City is home to the largest population ofAmericans living outside the United States. Estimates are as high as 700,000 Americans living in Mexico City, while in 1999 the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs estimated over 440,000 Americans lived in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area.[131][132]
Mexico City is home to some of the best private hospitals in the country, including Hospital Ángeles, Hospital ABC and Médica Sur. The nationalpublic healthcare institution forprivate-sector employees,IMSS, has its largest facilities in Mexico City—including the National Medical Center and theLa Raza Medical Center—and has an annual budget of over 6 billion pesos. The IMSS and otherpublic health institutions, including the ISSSTE (Public Sector Employees' Social Security Institute) and the National Health Ministry (SSA) maintain large specialty facilities in the city. These include the National Institutes of Cardiology, Nutrition, Psychiatry, Oncology, Pediatrics, Rehabilitation, among others.
El Colegio de México dedicated to higher education and research in the social sciences and humanities, with a particular emphasis on Mexican and Latin American studies.
Central Campus of theUniversity City of theUNAM. Since 2007 the University City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[137]
TheNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), located in Mexico City, is the largest university on the continent, with more than 300,000 students from all backgrounds. ThreeNobel laureates, several Mexican entrepreneurs and most of Mexico's modern-day presidents are among its former students. UNAM conducts 50% of Mexico'sscientific research and has presence all across the country with satellite campuses, observatories and research centers. UNAM ranked 74th in the Top 200 WorldUniversity Ranking published byTimes Higher Education (then called Times Higher Education Supplement) in 2006,[138] making it the highest ranked Spanish-speaking university in the world. The sprawling main campus of the university, known asCiudad Universitaria, was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007.[137]
The Acta Constitutiva de la Federación of 31 January 1824, and the Federal Constitution of 4 October 1824,[140] fixed the political and administrative organization of theUnited Mexican States after theMexican War of Independence. In addition, Section XXVIII of Article 50 gave the new Congress the right to choose where the federal government would be located. This location would then be appropriated as federal land, with the federal government acting as the local authority. The two main candidates to become the capital were Mexico City andQuerétaro.[141]
Due in large part to the persuasion of representativeServando Teresa de Mier, Mexico City was chosen because it was the center of the country's population and history, even thoughQueretaro was closer to the center geographically. The choice was official on 18 November 1824, and Congress delineated a surface area of two leagues square (8,800 acres) centered on theZocalo. This area was then separated from theState of Mexico, forcing that state's government to move from thePalace of the Inquisition (now Museum of Mexican Medicine) in the city toTexcoco. This area did not include the population centers of the towns ofCoyoacán,Xochimilco,Mexicaltzingo andTlalpan, all of which remained as part of the State of Mexico.[142]
In 1854 presidentAntonio López de Santa Anna enlarged the area of Mexico City almost eightfold from the original 220 to 1,700 km2 (80 to 660 sq mi), annexing the rural and mountainous areas to secure the strategic mountain passes to the south and southwest to protect the city in the event of a foreign invasion. (TheMexican–American War had just been fought.) The last changes to the limits of Mexico City were made between 1898 and 1902, reducing the area to the current 1,479 km2 (571 sq mi) by adjusting the southern border with the state ofMorelos. By that time, the total number of municipalities within Mexico City was twenty-two. In 1941, theGeneral Anaya borough was merged with the Central Department, which was then renamed "Mexico City" (thus reviving the name but not the autonomous municipality). From 1941 to 1970, the Federal District comprised twelvedelegaciones and Mexico City. In 1970, Mexico City was split into four differentdelegaciones:Cuauhtémoc,Miguel Hidalgo,Venustiano Carranza andBenito Juárez, increasing the number ofdelegaciones to 16. Since then, the whole Federal District, whosedelegaciones had by then almost formed a single urban area, began to be consideredde facto a synonym of Mexico City.[143]
The lack of ade jure stipulation left a legal vacuum that led to a number of sterile discussions about whether one concept had engulfed the other or if the latter had ceased to exist altogether. In 1993, the situation was solved by an amendment to the 44th article of theConstitution of Mexico; Mexico City and the Federal District were stated to be the same entity. The amendment was later introduced into the second article of the Statute of Government of the Federal District.[143]
On 29 January 2016, Mexico City ceased to be theFederal District (Spanish:Distrito Federal or D.F.), and was officially renamed "Ciudad de México" (or "CDMX").[33] On that date, Mexico City began a transition to becoming the country's 32nd federal entity, giving it a level of autonomy comparable to that of a state. It will have its own constitution and its legislature, and itsdelegaciones will now be headed by mayors.[33] Because of a clause in the Mexican Constitution, however, as it is the seat of the powers of the federation, it can never become a state, or the capital of the country has to be relocated elsewhere.[35]
In response to the demands, Mexico City received a greater degree of autonomy, with the 1987 elaboration the first Statute of Government (Estatuto de Gobierno) and the creation of an assembly of representatives.[144]: 149–150 The city has a Statute of Government, and as of its ratification on 31 January 2017, aconstitution,[145][146] similar to the states of the Union. As part of the recent changes in autonomy, the budget is administered locally; it is proposed by thehead of government and approved by theLegislative Assembly. Nonetheless, it is theCongress of the Union that sets the ceiling to internal and externalpublic debt issued by the city government.[147]
The politics pursued by the administrations of heads of government in Mexico City at the end of the 20th century have usually been more liberal than those of the rest of the country,[148][149] whether with the support of the federal government, as was the case with the approval of several comprehensive environmental laws in the 1980s, or by laws that were since approved by the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly expanded provisions on abortions, becoming the first federal entity to expandabortion in Mexico beyond cases of rape and economic reasons, to permit it at the choice of the mother before the 12th week of pregnancy.[150] In December 2009, the then Federal District became the first city in Latin America and one of very few in the world to legalizesame-sex marriage.[151]
After the political reforms in 2016, the city is divided for administrative purposes into 16 boroughs (demarcaciones territoriales, colloquiallyalcaldías), formerly calleddelegaciones. While they are not fully equivalent to municipalities, the boroughs have gained significant autonomy.[152] Formerly appointed by the Federal District's head of government, local authorities were first elected directly byplurality in 2000. From 2016, each borough is headed by a mayor, expanding their local government powers.[152]
The boroughs of Mexico City with their 2020 populations are:[153]
TheHuman Development Index report of 2005[154] shows that there were three boroughs with a very high Human Development Index, 12 with a high HDI value (9 above .85), and one with a medium HDI value (almost high).Benito Juárez borough had the highest HDI of the country (0.9510) followed byMiguel Hidalgo, which came up fourth nationally with an HDI of (0.9189), andCoyoacán was fifth nationally, with an HDI of (0.9169).Cuajimalpa (15th),Cuauhtémoc (23rd), andAzcapotzalco (25th) also had very high values of 0.8994, 0.8922, and 0.8915, respectively.[154]
In contrast, the boroughs ofXochimilco (172nd),Tláhuac (177th), andIztapalapa (183rd) presented the lowest HDI values of Mexico City, with values of 0.8481, 0.8473, and 0.8464, respectively, which are still in the global high-HDI range. The only borough that did not have a high HDI was that of ruralMilpa Alta, which had a "medium" HDI of 0.7984, far below those of all the other boroughs (627th nationally, the rest being in the top 200). Mexico City's HDI for the 2005 report was 0.9012 (very high), and its 2010 value of 0.9225 (very high), or (by newer methodology) 0.8307, was Mexico's highest.[154]
The Secretariat of Public Security of Mexico City (Secretaría de Seguridad Pública de la Ciudad de México – SSP) manages a combined force of over 90,000 officers in Mexico City. The SSP is charged with maintainingpublic order and safety in the heart of Mexico City. The historic district is also roamed by tourist police, aiming to orient and serve tourists. These horse-mounted agents dress in traditional uniforms. The investigative Judicial Police of Mexico City (Policía Judicial de la Ciudad de México – PJCDMX) is organized under the Office of theAttorney General of Mexico City (the Procuraduría General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México). The PGJCDMX maintains 16 precincts (delegaciones) with an estimated 3,500 judicial police, 1,100 investigating agents for prosecuting attorneys (agentes del ministerio público), and nearly 1,000 criminology experts or specialists (peritos).
Between 2000 and 2004 an average of 478 crimes were reported each day in Mexico City; however, the actual crime rate is thought to be much higher "since most people are reluctant to report crime".[155] Under policies enacted by MayorMarcelo Ebrard between 2009 and 2011, Mexico City underwent a major security upgrade with violent and petty crime rates both falling significantly despite the rise in violent crime in other parts of the country. Some of the policies enacted included the installation of 11,000security cameras around the city and a very large expansion of the police force. Mexico City has one of the world's highest police officer-to-resident ratios, with one uniformed officer per 100 citizens.[156] Since 1997 the prison population has increased by more than 500%.[157] Political scientist Markus-Michael Müller argues that mostly informal street vendors are hit by these measures. He sees punishment "related to the growing politicization of security and crime issues and the resulting criminalization of the people living at the margins of urban society, in particular those who work in the city's informal economy".[157]
In 2016, the incidence offemicides was 3.2 per 100 000 inhabitants, the national average being 4.2.[158] A 2015 city government report found that two of three women over the age of 15 in the capital suffered some form of violence.[159] In addition tostreet harassment, one of the places where women in Mexico City are subjected to violence is on and around public transport. Annually the Metro of Mexico City receives 300 complaints ofsexual harassment.[160]
Mexico City is one of the most important economic hubs inLatin America. The city proper produces 15.8% of the country'sgross domestic product.[166] In 2002, Mexico City had aHuman Development Index score of 0.915,[167] identical to that ofSouth Korea. In 2007, residents in the top twelve percent of GDP per capita holders in the city had a meandisposable income ofUS$98,517. The high spending power of Mexico City inhabitants makes the city attractive for companies offering prestige andluxury goods. According to a 2009 study conducted byPwC, Mexico City had a GDP of $390 billion, ranking it as the eighth richest city in the world and the richest in Latin America.[168] In 2009, Mexico City alone would rank as the 30th largest economy in the world.[169]
Mexico City is the greatest contributor to the country's industrial GDP (15.8%) and also the greatest contributor to the country's GDP in theservice sector (25.3%). Due to the limited non-urbanized space at the south—most of which is protected through environmental laws—the contribution of Mexico City in agriculture is the smallest of all federal entities in the country.[166] The economic reforms of PresidentCarlos Salinas de Gortari had a tremendous effect on the city, as a number of businesses, including banks and airlines, were privatized. He also signed theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This led to decentralization[170] and a shift in Mexico City's economic base, from manufacturing to services, as most factories moved away to either theState of Mexico, or more commonly to the northern border. By contrast, corporate office buildings set their base in the city.
Mexico City offers an immense and varied consumer retail market, ranging from basic foods to ultra high-end luxury goods. Consumers may buy infixed indoor markets, inmobile markets (tianguis), fromstreet vendors, from downtown shops in a street dedicated to a certain type of good, in convenience stores and traditional neighborhood stores, in modern supermarkets, in warehouse and membership stores and the shopping centers that they anchor, in department stores, inbig-box stores, and in modern shopping malls. In addition, "tianguis" or mobile markets set up shop on streets in many neighborhoods, depending on day of week. Sundays see the largest number of these markets.
The city's main source of fresh produce is theCentral de Abasto. This in itself is a self-contained mini-city inIztapalapa borough covering an area equivalent to several dozen city blocks. The wholesale market supplies most of the city's "mercados", supermarkets and restaurants, as well as people who come to buy the produce for themselves. Tons of fresh produce are trucked in from all over Mexico every day. The principal fish market is known asLa Nueva Viga, in the same complex as the Central de Abastos.[171] The world-renowned market ofTepito occupies 25 blocks, and sells a variety of products. A staple for consumers in the city is the omnipresent "mercado". Every major neighborhood in the city has its own borough-regulated market, often more than one. These are large well-established facilities offering most basic products, such as fresh produce and meat/poultry, dry goods, tortillerías, and many other services such as locksmiths, herbal medicine, hardware goods, sewing implements; and a multitude of stands offering freshly made, home-style cooking and drinks in the tradition ofaguas frescas andatole.
Street vendors ply their trade from stalls in thetianguis as well as at non-officially controlled concentrations around metro stations and hospitals; atplazas comerciales, where vendors of a certain "theme" (e.g. stationery) are housed; originally these were organized to accommodate vendors formerly selling on the street; or simply from improvised stalls on a city sidewalk.[172] In addition, food and goods are sold from people walking with baskets, pushing carts, from bicycles or the backs of trucks, or simply from a tarp or cloth laid on the ground.[173] In the center of the city informal street vendors are increasingly targeted by laws and prosecution.[157] The weeklySan Felipe de Jesús Tianguis is reported to be the largest in Latin America.[174]
TheHistoric Center of Mexico City is widely known for specialized, often low-cost retailers. Certain blocks or streets are dedicated to shops selling a certain type of merchandise, with areas dedicated to over 40 categories such as home appliances, lamps and electricals, closets and bathrooms, housewares, wedding dresses, jukeboxes, printing, office furniture and safes, books, photography, jewelry, and opticians.[175]
Santa Fe is one of the centers of greatest economic activity in the city.[176]
The Turibus runs through many of the most important tourist attractions in the city.
Mexico City is a destination for many foreign tourists. TheHistoric center of Mexico City (Centro Histórico) and the "floating gardens" ofXochimilco in the southern borough have been declaredWorld Heritage Sites byUNESCO. Landmarks in the Historic Center include thePlaza de la Constitución (Zócalo), the main central square with its epoch-contrasting Spanish-eraMetropolitan Cathedral andNational Palace, ancient Aztec temple ruinsTemplo Mayor ("Major Temple") and modern structures, all within a few steps of one another. (The Templo Mayor was discovered in 1978 while workers were digging to place underground electric cables).
Another piece of architecture is thePalacio de Bellas Artes, a white marble theater/museum whose weight is such that it has gradually been sinking into the soft ground below. Its construction began during the presidency ofPorfirio Díaz and ended in 1934, after being interrupted by theMexican Revolution in the 1920s.
In addition, according to the Secretariat of Tourism, the city has about 170museums—is among the top ten of cities in the world with highest number of museums[177]—over 100art galleries, and some 30concert halls, all of which maintain a constant cultural activity during the whole year. Many areas (e.g. Palacio Nacional and theNational Institute of Cardiology) have murals painted byDiego Rivera. He and his wifeFrida Kahlo lived inCoyoacán, where several of their homes, studios, and art collections are open to the public. The house whereLeon Trotsky was initially granted asylum and finally murdered in 1940 is also in Coyoacán. In addition, there are severalhaciendas that are now restaurants, such as the San Ángel Inn, the Hacienda de Tlalpan, Hacienda de Cortés and the Hacienda de los Morales.
In 2019, the graphic designerLance Wyman was engaged to create an integrated map of the multimodal public transportation system; he presented a new logo for theSistema de Movilidad Integrada, describing eight distinct modes of transportation. The head of the government,Claudia Sheinbaum, said the branding would be used for a new single payment card to streamline public transportation fare collection.[179]
Mexico City is served by theMexico City Metro, a 225.9 km (140 mi)metro system, which is the largest in Latin America. The first portions were opened in 1969 and it has expanded to 12 lines with195 stations, transporting 4.4 million people every day.[180]
A suburban rail system, theTren Suburbano serves the metropolitan area, beyond the reach of themetro, with one line serving to municipalities such asTlalnepantla andCuautitlán Izcalli, but with future lines planned to serve e.g.Chalco andLa Paz.
Mexico City has a large road network, and relatively high private car usage, estimated at more than 4.5 million in 2016.[181] There is an environmental program, calledHoy No Circula ("Today Does Not Run", or "One Day without a Car"), whereby vehicles that have not passed emissions testing are restricted from circulating on certain days according to the ending digit of theirlicense plates, in an attempt to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion.[182][183][184]
The Mexico City local government oversees the administration ofEcobici, North America's second-largestbicycle sharing system. Established to promote sustainable urban transportation, Ecobici facilitates convenient access to bicycles for residents and visitors alike. As of September 2013, the system comprised 276 stations strategically positioned across an expansive area extending from theHistoric center toPolanco, a prominent district in the city. Within this network, approximately 4,000 bicycles are available for public use, enabling individuals to navigate the metropolitan landscape efficiently and reduce reliance on traditional motorized modes of transportation. Ecobici serves as a model for environmentally conscious urban mobility initiatives, reflecting Mexico City's commitment to fostering sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life for its populace.[185][186][187]
During the 19th century, an important producer of art was theAcademia de San Carlos (San Carlos Art Academy), founded during colonial times, and which later became the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas (theNational School of Arts) including painting, sculpture and graphic design, one of UNAM'sart schools. Many of the works produced by the students and faculty of that time are now displayed in the Museo Nacional de San Carlos (National Museum of San Carlos).
One of the students,José María Velasco, is considered one of the greatest Mexican landscape painters of the 19th century.Porfirio Díaz's regime sponsored arts, especially those that followed the French school. Popular arts in the form of cartoons and illustrations flourished, e.g. those ofJosé Guadalupe Posada andManuel Manilla. The permanent collection of the San Carlos Museum also includes paintings by European masters such as Rembrandt, Velázquez, Murillo, and Rubens.
The former home of Rivera museDolores Olmedo houses the namesake museum. The facility is in Xochimilco borough in southern Mexico City and includes several buildings surrounded by sprawling manicured lawns. It houses a large collection of Rivera and Kahlo paintings and drawings, as well as livingXoloizcuintles (Mexican Hairless Dog). It also regularly hosts small but important temporary exhibits of classical andmodern art (e.g. Venetian Masters and Contemporary New York artists).
In the 20th century, many artists immigrated to Mexico City from different regions of Mexico, such asLeopoldo Méndez, an engraver from Veracruz, who supported the creation of the socialist Taller de la Gráfica Popular (Popular Graphics Workshop), designed to helpblue-collar workers find a venue to express their art. Other painters came from abroad, such asCatalan painterRemedios Varo and other Spanish and Jewish exiles. It was in the second half of the 20th century that the artistic movement began to drift apart from the Revolutionary theme.José Luis Cuevas opted for a modernist style in contrast to the muralist movement associated with social politics.
Mexico City has numerous museums dedicated to art, including Mexican colonial, modern andcontemporary art, and international art. The Museo Tamayo was opened in the mid-1980s to house the collection of international contemporary art donated by Mexican painterRufino Tamayo. The collection includes pieces by Picasso, Klee, Kandinsky, Warhol and many others, though most of the collection is stored while visiting exhibits are shown. TheMuseo de Arte Moderno is a repository of Mexican artists from the 20th century, including Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros, Kahlo,Gerzso, Carrington, Tamayo, and regularly hosts temporary exhibits of international modern art. In southern Mexico City, theCarrillo Gil Museum showcases avant-garde artists, as does theMuseo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo, designed by Mexican architectTeodoro González de León, inaugurated in late 2008.
TheMuseo Soumaya, named after the wife of Mexican magnateCarlos Slim, has the largest private collection of originalRodin sculptures outside of France.[189] It also has a large collection ofDalí sculptures, and recently began showing pieces in its masters collection includingEl Greco,Velázquez,Picasso andCanaletto. The museum inaugurated a new futuristic-design facility in 2011 just north of Polanco, while maintaining a smaller facility inPlaza Loreto in southern Mexico City.
TheColección Júmex is a contemporary art museum located on the sprawling grounds of theJumex juice company in the northern industrial suburb ofEcatepec. It has the largest private contemporary art collection inLatin America and hosts pieces from its permanent collection as well as traveling exhibits. The Museo de San Ildefonso, housed in theAntiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City's historic downtown district is a 17th-century colonnaded palace housing an art museum that regularly hosts world-class exhibits of Mexican and international art. TheMuseo Nacional de Arte is also located in a former palace in the historic center. It houses a large collection of pieces by all major Mexican artists of the last 400 years and also hosts visiting exhibits.
Jack Kerouac, the noted American author, spent extended periods of time in the city, and wrote his 1959 masterpiece volume of poetryMexico City Blues here. Another American author,William S. Burroughs, also lived inColonia Roma where he accidentally shot his wife. Most of Mexico City's museums can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm, although some of them have extended schedules, such as the Museum of Anthropology and History, which is open to 7pm. In addition to this, entrance to most museums are free on Sunday. In some cases a modest fee may be charged.[190]
TheMemory and Tolerance Museum, inaugurated in 2011, showcases historical events of discrimination and genocide. Permanent exhibits include those on the Holocaust and other large-scale atrocities. It also houses temporary exhibits; one onTibet was inaugurated by theDalai Lama in September 2011.[191]
Mexico City is a leading center ofpopular culture and music. There are a multitude of venues hosting Spanish and foreign-language performers. These include the 10,000-seatNational Auditorium that regularly schedules the Spanish and English-language pop and rock artists, as well as many of the world's leadingperforming arts ensembles, the auditorium also broadcastsgrand opera performances from New York'sMetropolitan Opera on giant, high definition screens. In 2007, the National Auditorium was selected world's best venue by multiple genre media.
Other sites for pop-artist performances include the 3,000-seatTeatro Metropolitan, the 15,000-seatPalacio de los Deportes, and the larger 50,000-seatForo Sol Stadium, where popular international artists perform on a regular basis. TheCirque du Soleil has held several seasons at theCarpa Santa Fe, in theSanta Fe district in the western part of the city. There are numerous venues for smaller musical ensembles and solo performers. These include theHard Rock Live, Bataclán, Foro Scotiabank, Lunario, Circo Volador and Voilá Acoustique. Recent additions include the 20,000-seatArena Ciudad de México, the 3,000-seat Pepsi Center World Trade Center, and the 2,500-seat Auditorio Blackberry.
TheJosé Vasconcelos Library, a national library, is located on the grounds of the former Buenavista railroad station in the northern part of the city. ThePapalote Museo del Niño (Kite Children's Museum), which houses the world's largest dome screen, is located in the wooded park ofChapultepec, near theMuseo Tecnológico, andAztlán Parque Urbano, anamusement park. The theme parkSix Flags México (the largest amusement park in Latin America) is located in theAjusco neighborhood, in Tlalpan borough, southern Mexico City. During the winter, the main square of theZócalo is transformed into a giganticice skating rink, which is said to be the largest in the world behind that of Moscow'sRed Square.
TheCineteca Nacional [es] (Mexican Film Library), near the Coyoacán suburb, shows a variety of films, and stages many film festivals, including the annualInternational Showcase, and many smaller ones ranging from Scandinavian and Uruguayan cinema, to Jewish and LGBT-themed films.Cinépolis andCinemex, the two biggest filmbusiness chains, also have several film festivals throughout the year, with both national and international movies. Mexico City has a number ofIMAX theaters, providing residents and visitors access to films ranging from documentaries to blockbusters on these large screens.
Once considered plebeian fare, by the 19th centurytacos was a standard of Mexico City's cuisine. As authorities struggled to tax localtaquerias, imposing licensing requirements and penalties, they recorded some details of the types of foods being served by these establishments. The most frequent reference was fortacos debarbacoa. Also mentioned wereenchiladas,tacos de minero andgorditas, along with oyster shops and fried fish stands. There is evidence of some regional specialties being made available for recent migrants; at least two shops were known to servepozole, a type of stew similar tohominy that is a staple ofGuadalajara,Jalisco.[197]
Mexico City is known for having some of the freshest fish and seafood in Mexico's interior.La Nueva Viga Market is the second largest seafood market in the world after theTsukiji fish market in Japan.
Mexico City offers a variety of cuisines: restaurants specializing in the regional cuisines of Mexico's 31 states are available in the city, and the city also has several branches of internationally recognized restaurants. These include Paris' Au Pied de Cochon andBrasserie Lipp, Philippe (by Philippe Chow); Nobu,Quintonil, Morimoto; Pámpano, owned by Mexican-raised opera singerPlácido Domingo. There are branches ofJapanese restaurantSuntory,Italian restaurant Alfredo, as well as New York steakhousesMorton's andThe Palm, and Monte Carlo's BeefBar. Three ofLima'sHaute restaurants, servingPeruvian cuisine, have locations in Mexico City: La Mar, Segundo Muelle and Astrid y Gastón.
For the 2023 list ofWorld's 50 Best Restaurants as named by the British magazineRestaurant, Mexico City ranked 13th best with the Mexican avant-garde restaurantPujol, owned by Mexican chefEnrique Olvera.[198] Also notable is the Basque-Mexican fusion restaurantBiko, run and co-owned by Bruno Oteiza and Mikel Alonso, which placed outside the list at 59th, but in previous years has ranked within the top 50.[199] Other that has been placed on the list in 2019 is the restaurant Sud 777 at 58th place.[200] In 2024,seven restaurants in the city receivedMichelin stars.[201] At the other end of the scale are working classpulque bars known aspulquerías, a challenge for tourists to locate and experience.
It is also a leading center of theadvertising industry. Most international ad firms have offices in the city, including Grey,JWT,Leo Burnett,Euro RSCG,BBDO, Ogilvy,Saatchi & Saatchi, andMcCann Erickson. Many local firms also compete in the sector, including Alazraki, Olabuenaga/Chemistri, Terán, Augusto Elías, and Clemente Cámara, among others. There are 60radio stations operating in the city and manylocal community radio transmission networks.
The two largest media companies in the Spanish-speaking world,Televisa andTV Azteca, are headquartered in Mexico City.Televisa often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content.[204] Otherlocal television channels include:
América, Cruz Azul and Universidad Nacional are based in Mexico City and play in theFirst Division; they are also part, with Guadalajara-based giantsClub Deportivo Guadalajara, of Mexico's traditional "Big Four". The city's three derbies are the "Clásico Joven", played between América and Cruz Azul, the capital's two most popular and successful teams; the "Clásico Capitalino", between América and Universidad Nacional, and the "Clásico Metropolitano", between Cruz Azul and Universidad Nacional.
Mexico hosted theFIFA World Cup in1970 and1986, and Azteca Stadium is the first stadium in World Cup history to host the final twice. The city will be one of the host cities for the2026 FIFA World Cup.[207] Mexico City is the first Latin American city to host the Olympic Games, having held theSummer Olympics in 1968, winning bids againstBuenos Aires,Lyon and Detroit. The city hosted the 1955 and 1975Pan American Games, the latter after Santiago and São Paulo withdrew. TheICF Flatwater Racing World Championships were hosted here in 1974 and 1994.Lucha libre is a Mexican style of wrestling, and is one of the more popular sports throughout the country. The main venues in the city areArena México andArena Coliseo.
Baseball is another sport played professionally in the city. Mexico City is home of theMexico City Red Devils of theMexican League, which is considered a Triple-A league by Major League Baseball. The Devils play their home games atEstadio Alfredo Harp Helú[208] designed by international Mexican-American architectFGP Atelier FounderFrancisco Gonzalez Pulido in collaboration with local architect Taller ADG. Mexico City has some 10 Little Leagues for young baseball players. In 2005, Mexico City became the first city to host anNFL regular season game outside of the United States, at theAzteca Stadium. The crowd of 103,467 people attending this game was the largest ever for a regular season game in NFL history until 2009.[209]
The city has also hosted severalNBA pre-season games and has hosted international basketball'sFIBA Americas Championship, along with north-of-the-border Major League Baseball exhibition games atForo Sol. In 2017, NBA commissionerAdam Silver expressed interest in placing anNBA G League expansion team in Mexico City as early as 2018. This came to fruition on 12 December 2019 when commissioner Silver announced at a press conference inMexico City Arena thatLNBP team,Capitanes de la Ciudad de México will be joining the G League in the 2020–21 season on a five-year agreement.
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