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Tecate () is a city in Tecate 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 ...
. It is across the Mexico-US border from
Tecate, California Tecate is an unincorporated community in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California, directly adjacent to the Mexican city of Tecate, Baja California. The area is best known for its border crossing between the Unite ...
. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inhabitants. Tecate is part of the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area and the largest city between
Tijuana Tijuana ( ,"Tijuana"
(US) and
< ...
and
Mexicali Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000, ...
. Tecate is a regional economic hub and popular tourist destination, known as home to the
Tecate Port of Entry The Tecate Port of Entry is one three ports of entry in the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan region. The land port is located between Tecate, California in San Diego County's Mountain Empire and Tecate Municipality in Baja California. It connec ...
and to
Tecate beer Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
.


History

Tecate is in a valley surrounded by several hills and mountains, the most prominent and famous of them being Kuuchamaa (also spelled Kuchamaa and Cuchama) Mountain. Kuuchamaa Mountain, also known as Tecate Peak in the United States, is a sacred mountain for the
Kumeyaay people The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai or by their historical Spanish name Diegueño, is a tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the Unit ...
(known in Mexico as Kumiai) people, and the
Kumeyaay language Kumeyaay (Kumiai), also known as Central Diegueño, Kamia, and Campo, is the Native American language spoken by the Kumeyaay people of southern San Diego County, California, San Diego and Imperial County, California, Imperial counties in Californ ...
is still spoken in the mountains near Tecate at Juntas de Nejí. Kuuchamaa is rich in greenery, wildflowers and birds. Tecatenses as well as tourists are often seen enjoying hikes and bike rides along its many trails. In 1829, the Mexican governor of
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
José María de Echeandía José María de Echeandía (?–1871) was twice Mexican governor of Alta California from 1825 to 1831 and again from 1832 to 1833. He was the only governor of California that lived in San Diego.José Bandini, in a note to Governor Echeandía or t ...
granted the valley of Tecate as the
Rancho Tecate Rancho Tecate, or Rancho Cañada de Tecate was a land grant made to Juan Bandini in 1829, by the Mexican governor of Alta California, José María de Echeandía. He granted 4,439 acres (18 km2) of land in the valley of Tecate. A grant to Juan Ban ...
to
Juan Bandini Juan Bandini (1800 – November 4, 1859) was a Peruvian-born Californio public figure, politician, and ranchero. He is best known for his role in the development of San Diego in the mid-19th century. Early history Bandini was born in 1800 in Lima ...
. In 1836 the mountain dwelling Kumeyaay with some aid from some former mission neophytes, raided and plundered the rancho. They besieged the ranch house but the men within managed to hold out until it was relieved by a force from San Diego. With his stock and horses stolen and the house burned, Bandini—like owners of other ranchos near San Diego—had to abandon the isolated rancho. Due to the continuing hostilities with the Kumeyaay, Bandini never returned, being compensated with
Rancho Jurupa Rancho Jurupa was a Mexican land grant in California, United States, that is divided by the present-day counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. The land was granted to Juan Bandini by Governor Juan B. Alvarado in 1838. Located along both ba ...
in 1838. In the late 19th century farmers and ranchers arrived in Tecate for the first time since Bandini's failed attempt to settle there. They discovered its plentiful natural resources and decided to settle. Its abundant water and fertile soil made Tecate the perfect site for a productive farm market. Olives, grapes and grain became Tecate's staple crops. The industrial sector was developed simultaneously with the creation of coffee processing plants and breweries. The town was founded on 2 April 1888 and formally incorporated as a city on 12 October 1892. In 1919, Governor Esteban Cantú ordered the first urban plan for the city, charging engineer Luis Pavón with its design and implementation. In 1953, Tecate Municipality was separated from
Tijuana Municipality Tijuana Municipality is a municipality in the Mexican state of Baja California. Its municipal seat is located in the city of Tijuana. According to the 2020 census, the municipality had a population of 1,922,523. Luis Arturo González Cruz of the ...
, with Tecate designated as the municipal seat. Well known for its traditional infrastructure and looks, Tecate remains true to its origins with its main plaza in the center of the city and its city hall and historic church within walking distance.


Geography

Tecate's altitude of approximately above sea level and its proximity to the ocean contribute to the temperate climate. It rains enough in the area (almost per year) for a thick ground cover of shrubs and scattered trees to grow. The gradual transition from coastal to desert climate is on the eastern side of the peninsular mountains a few miles east. Although often boulder-strewn, much of the land to the east of the city is taken up with ''ejidos'', or cooperative farms. Tecate is also the name of a small river that courses through the city, and of a hamlet on the Alta California (US side) of the border, affectionately known as "Tecatito" (population around 100; ZIP code 91980).


Climate

Tecate is hot and dry during the summer and cool and sometimes rainy during the winter. It is classified as a
hot-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
.


Demographics

Tecate had a population of 108,860 inhabitants in 2019, up from 72,860 in the 2015 census. The Tecate metro area has a population of 132,406 inhabitants.


Economy

Tecate is the site of the first brewery of
Tecate Beer Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
. Industrial companies from across the border have their manufacturing affiliates there (e.g.,
Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation, Inc. is an American provider of industrial automation whose brands include Allen-Bradley, FactoryTalk software and LifecycleIQ Services. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 ...
,
Ingersoll-Rand Ingersoll Rand is an American multinational company that provides flow creation and industrial products. The company was formed in February 2020 through the spinoff of the industrial segment of Ingersoll-Randplc (now known as Trane Technologies) ...
, Milwaukee Electronics, Automation Controls Group and Oberg Industries). The city is served by a couple of hospitals and several clinics, as well as a couple dozen doctors and dentists.


Tourism

In summer/early fall, the annual Tecate-to-Ensenada bicycle race takes place, with thousands of cyclists from both sides of the border participating. July is the time for a two-week celebration in Los Encinos Park, featuring dance groups, crafts, food concessions, and exhibits. The pamplonada, or running of the bulls, was ordinarily held in August in the 1980s and early 1990s along one of the main streets, but it was canceled because of a series of accidents and violence. Tecate has a stadium, Manuel Ceceña, which is home to the local
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
team, the Cerveceros ("Brewers").


Education

Tecate is the site of the
Autonomous University of Baja California The Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) ( es, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California) is a public institution of higher education in Baja California. Established in 1957, UABC has its headquarters located in the city of Mexicali. T ...
, Tecate. The school houses a school of engineering. Tecate has a competition every year for 5th grade students where they share their ideas to change their community in a positive way. The best one competes against the best ones of each city of the state. The winner competes against the other states, and the winner meets the President of Mexico.


Transportation

Tecate is on a spur of
Mexican Federal Highway 2 Federal Highway 2 ( es, Carretera Federal 2, Fed. 2) is a free part of the Mexican federal highway corridors () that runs along the U.S. border. The highway is in two separate improved segments, starting in the west at Tijuana, Baja Califor ...
that connects Tijuana with
Mexicali Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000, ...
via the central Sierra mountains. It is on the older, two-lane, east-west road which is toll-free. A train from Campo, California, called ''the Tecate Ticket'', travels to Tecate on a monthly basis (currently suspended due to a tunnel fire along the route). The train is run by the
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Campo, California, on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway line. The museum also owns and manages a railroad depot located in La Mesa, California. Facilities Campo Sinc ...
. The city is the location of the Tecate Airport, at Maclovio Herrera, which no longer operates due to low traffic. Instead, Tecate residents are served by nearby
Tijuana International Airport General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional General Abelardo L. Rodríguez) or simply Tijuana International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional de Tijuana), , in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, is ...
(TIJ), with flights to most major Mexican cities. TIJ is closer to Tecate than
Mexicali International Airport General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport is an international airport located outside Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, near the U.S.-Mexico border. It is the northernmost airport in Mexico. It is named after Mexican military off ...
and thus used more frequently by Tecate residents.


See also

* Tecate Municipality *
Tecate (beer) Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
*
Tecate Divide The Tecate Divide is a mountain ridge in southeastern San Diego County, California, running in a north-south direction on the southeast fringe of the Cuyamaca Mountains. It reaches an altitude of , and passes between the towns of Live Oak Spri ...


References


External links


Link to tables of population data from Census of 2010
INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
Life & Businesses of Tecate
{{Authority control Cities in Tecate Municipality Pueblos Mágicos Municipality seats in Baja California