Los Algodones is a city in Mexicali Municipality,

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. Located on the United States-Mexico border, Los Algodones is south of Andrade, California and west of

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

. It reported a population of 5,474 as of the 2010 Mexican census. Los Algodones is popularly referred to as "Molar City", due to the large number of dentists in the city that cater to

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

seeking affordable dental care outside of the United States.

Etymology

The

Spanish-language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in the Am ...

name ''Los Algodones'' translates into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

as "the cotton plants". The origin of the name is unknown.

Geography

Los Algodones is the northernmost town in Mexico, and at its northeastern tip is the northernmost point in the state of Baja California, and in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

. From the U.S. side, Los Algodones is most easily reached via

Interstate 8 Interstate 8 (I-8) is an Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay (San Diego), Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego, San Diego, Californi ...

and south a short distance (3.33 Km / 2.07 mi) along State Route 186/Andrade Road to the international border at Andrade, California. From Andrade, visitors park their vehicles and walk across the border, or they can drive across. The exact geographical location is at an elevation of 110 feet/33.5 m above mean sea level.

Climate

Economy

Los Algodones, Baja California (20441967884) (cropped)

Situated near the borders of both southeastern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and southwestern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, Los Algodones has become a popular tourist attraction in recent years due in part to inexpensive shopping and restaurants as well as inexpensive medical care and prescription medicines. The warm, dry climate of the area attracts a number of older

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism ...

s from across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

who settle during the winter in the nearby towns of

and

Winterhaven, California Winterhaven (formerly, Karmack) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California. Winterhaven is east of Pilot Knob, The population was 394 at the 2010 census, down from 529 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Centro, CA ...

. Organized day trips from the

Coachella Valley , map_image = Wpdms shdrlfi020l coachella valley.jpg , map_caption = Coachella Valley , location = California, United States , coordinates = , width = , boundaries = Salton Sea (southeast), Santa Rosa Mountains (southwest), San Jacin ...

are popular among seniors as well.

Healthcare

The popularity of both inexpensive prescriptions and medical care catering to Canadian and U.S. senior citizens has prompted a virtual explosion of pharmacies,

optician An optician, or ''dispensing optician'', is a technical practitioner who designs, fits and dispenses lenses for the correction of a person's vision. Opticians determine the specifications of various ophthalmic appliances that will give the nec ...

s and dental offices since the 1980s. They have largely displaced many of the open-air shops and restaurants immediately across the border, and have effectively shifted the town's focus from tourism to

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

. Los Algodones has approximately 600 dentists who service uninsured Canadian and American health tourists who save 40 to 60 percent on dental services. Nevertheless, a number of shops and restaurants remain, and Los Algodones capitalizes on the tourist trade with frequent ''fiestas'' throughout the year, most notably around the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

season.

Transportation

Transportes Miguel Siga, a private bus company, provides service between Mexicali and Los Algodones.Autobuses nuevos cubren la ruta desde el poblado Algodones a la zona
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Yuma County Area Transit The Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT) system is a public transportation system based in Yuma County, Arizona. Since 1990 the agency has grown from a new transit service offering paratransit to the current mix of fixed-route and demand-responsiv ...

provides service from Andrade to Yuma.

References

External links

{{commonscat Mexicali Municipality Boroughs of Mexicali Populated places in Baja California Populated places in the Sonoran Desert Communities in the Lower Colorado River Valley