Irapuato is a Mexican city (and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

) located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the

Guanajuato River The Guanajuato's River ( es, Rio Guanajuato) is a tributary of the Lerma River in the central near region of Mexico called the Bajio (Lowlands). The river begins in the silver-rich Guanajuato mountains near the state capital of Guanajuato City. The ...

, a tributary of the

Lerma River The Lerma River ( es, Río Lerma) is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, nea ...

, at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. It is located at . The city is the second-largest in the state (only behind León), with a population of 342,561 according to the 2005 census, while its

has a population of 529,440. The municipality has an area of and includes numerous smaller outlying communities. Although it is now an important center for regional trade and transportation center as well the site of several automotive and chemical manufacturing plants, the city's main industry has historically been

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

and it has long been known for its strawberries and the raising of

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

s and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

. The fruits and

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

of Irapuato's luxurious gardens are well known throughout Mexico.

History

Prehispanic era

In the pre-Hispanic era, the site was inhabited by the

Chichimecas Chichimeca () is the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples who were established in present-day Bajio region of Mexico. Chichimeca carried the meaning as the Roman term "barbarian" that des ...

(c. 1200 AD), a group of semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. Later on, the Purépechas conquered the region and initiated the establishment of a permanent settlement. They constructed buildings in the Purépecha architectural style, produced pottery, and practiced

. They called the settlement Xiriquitzio (or Iriquitzio), which the Spanish conquerors pronounced "Jiricuato" (or Jiricuicho), which meant "the place with houses (or low dwellings)". The initial growth period, however, was short-lived. The downfall of the

Purépecha Empire The Purépecha Empire, also known by the term Iréchikwa, was a polity in pre-Columbian Mexico. Its territory roughly covered the geographic area of the present-day Mexican state of Michoacán, as well as parts of Guanajuato, Guerrero, and Ja ...

led to the abandonment of the settlement, at which point it was once again inhabited by the Chichimecas.

Conquest

In the 16th century, vasts amounts of

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...

were discovered at the present day site of the capital city of Guanajuato. This discovery led to a massive migration of Spanish settlers to the area.

Flood

On 18 August 1973, thousands of homes were destroyed and an estimated 200 or 300 people killed when a dam burst, sending a high wall of water crashing into the city. Many people were left stranded on roofs and high places for days before they were rescued.

Massacres

Mass shooting narco morena s occurred at

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent i ...

centers on 6 June and 1 July 2020.

Climate

It has a humid subtropical climate (''Cwa'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

) with an average temperature of . The large majority of rainfall occurs from June - September. It is at an altitude above

of .

Transportation

Airport

Irapuato is a 2 or 3 hour flight from cities including

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, among others. Located just 25 minutes from the city of Irapuato the Del Bajío International Airport (its correct name is Aeropuerto Internacional de Guanajuato (Guanajuato International Airport)) (IATA: BJX) is an international airport located in

Silao Silao (), officially Silao de la Victoria, is a city in the west-central part of the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. It is the seat of the municipality with the same name. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 147,123, making it th ...

, close to Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic of the area that includes the cities of León, Irapuato, and the state capital, Guanajuato. Guanajuato International Airport is an important connecting point for some flights from Mexico City to the United States.

Major highways

Major highways in Irapuato and their starting and ending points: * Carretera federal 45

Mexican Federal Highway 45 Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua - Panales,

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

Mexican Federal Highway 90 Irapuato, Guanajuato -

Zapotlanejo Zapotlanejo is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, there were 63,634 inhabitants in the municipality. The municipality has a territorial extension of 643.02 km2. Toponymy Zapotlanejo is a ...

, Jalisco *

Mexican Federal Highway 43 Federal Highway 43 (''Carretera Federal 43'') (Fed. 43) is a free (libre) part of the federal highways corridors (los corredores carreteros federales) of Mexico. Fed. 43 connects the city of Salamanca, Guanajuato in the north to the ca ...

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herit ...

, Guanajuato -

Morelia Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital and lar ...

, Michoacán * Carretera federal 110

Mexican Federal Highway 110 Armería,

Colima Colima (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima), is one of the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima i ...

- Xoconostle, Guanajuato

Education

The city of Irapuato is home to some private universities including catholic University of the Incarnate Word, and a single public university, the Higher Technological Institute of Irapuato (ITESI). The city is also home to a research center of the Center for Advanced Research and Studies (CINVESTAV) specializing in plant biotechnology and genetics and the newly created National Center of Plant Genomics.

Sport

The local football team is

Irapuato FC Club Deportivo Irapuato is a professional football club, based in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. They are currently playing in the Serie A in the Liga Premier. Irapuato has mostly played in the Promotion League of Mexico (formerly Primera Divis ...

Stadiums and arenas

* Estadio Sergio Leon Chavez *Plaza de Toros *Parque Irekua *Golf Club Santa Margarita

Notable people

* Don Fernando Barba Amezcua – Philanthropist dedicated to the preservation of indigenous traditions and cultures through the Pacha Moma Cultural Space * Amalia Macías – singer and actress who toured Europe *

Enrique del Moral Enrique del Moral Dominguez (21 January 1905 – 11 June 1987) was a Mexican architect and an exponent of the functionalism movement, a modernist group that included Mexican artists and architects such as José Villagrán Garcia, Carlos Obreg� ...

– architect. *

Silvia Navarro Silvia Angélica Navarro Barva (born September 14, 1978) is a Mexican actress. She debuted as actress in 1997, in the lead role in the telenovela '' Perla''. Since then, she continued to work for Mexican TV network TV Azteca, and later for Te ...

– actress. * Natalia Guerrero – actress. * Carolina Miranda - actress. * Carlos Cordero – athlete for Mexico at the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. *

Samuel Ruiz Samuel Ruiz García (3 November 1924 – 24 January 2011) was a Mexican Catholic prelate who served as bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, from 1959 until 1999. Ruiz is best known for his role as mediator during th ...

– Catholic prelate. * Mario Castañeda – Mexican voice actor. *

Chucho Navarro José de Jesús Navarro Moreno, (January 20, 1913 – December 23, 1993), better known by his stage name of "Chucho" Navarro, was a Mexican singer and founding member of the Trio Los Panchos. Chucho Navarro was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato G ...

– founding member of the Trio

Los Panchos Originally, Trio Los Panchos are a ''trío romántico'' formed in New York City in 1944 by Alfredo Gil, Chucho Navarro, and Hernando Avilés. The trio became one of the leading exponents of the bolero and the romantic ballad in Latin America. ...

. * Miguel Ángel Chico Herrera – president of PRI from 2005 to 2009. *

Roberto Alvarado Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernández (born 7 September 1998), also known as El Piojo, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club Guadalajara and the Mexico national team. He is the youngest player to ever play i ...

– professional soccer player who plays for

Cruz Azul Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...

in the Liga MX, and the Mexico National Team. * Claudio González – professional soccer player who plays for

Club Leon Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

in the Liga MX. * Óscar Razo – professional soccer player who played for

Club Atlas Atlas Fútbol Club () is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco that currently plays in Liga MX. It plays home matches at the Estadio Jalisco. Founded in 1916, Atlas has won three league titles and four domestic cups ...

in the Liga MX. * Francisco Rotllán – professional soccer player who played for

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

at the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. *

Sergio Ávila Sergio Gabriel Ávila Valle, also known as El Gaucho, (born on 2 September 1985) is a Mexican former professional footballer. Club career C.D. Guadalajara He debuted on April 1, 2005 in the Chivas' loss against CF UAG 3-2, but was praised by ...

– professional soccer player who played for Chivas de Guadalajara and the Mexico U-23 national team. * José Antonio Patlán – professional soccer player who played for Chivas de Guadalajara in 2006 * Juan Zaragoza – soccer player

Images

File:MiguelHidalgoMural.jpg, Mural depicting Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and the

Mexican Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

movement. File:TemplodelHospitalito.jpg, Hospitalito Church File:IrapuatoMural.jpg, Mural depicting Irapuato's Purépecha and

history File:AguasDanzarinas.JPG, Aguas Danzarinas Fountain File:Irapuato Plaza Principal.jpg, Irapuato's Hidalgo Garden File:Templo de la Soledad.jpg, Templo de la Soledad File:IrapuatoCentroHistorico.jpg, Plaza de Los Fundadores File:Irapuato 1907.jpg, Tercera Orden's Church, circa 1907. Photo courtesy SMU

Sister cities

Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes,

Green Bay,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

Chula Vista Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popu ...

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 ...

Laredo,

Marianao Marianao is one of the 15 municipalities or boroughs (''municipios'' in Spanish) in the city of Havana, Cuba. It lies 6 miles southwest of the original city of Havana, with which it is connected by the Marianao railway. In 1989 the municipality had ...

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

McAllen McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...

Murcia Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

References

External links

D IRAPUATO.COM
SPANISH
Presidencia Municipal de Irapuato
Official website * Irapuato Article on Wikipedia Español {{Authority control Municipalities of Guanajuato Populated places established in 1547 Populated places in Guanajuato