Juárez

Juárez, officially Ciudad Juárez, is the largest city and municipality in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. It sits on the banks of the Rio Grande, directly across from El Paso, Texas, and forms the core of the Paso del Norte binational metropolitan region. The city is a major gateway for cross-border trade and cultural exchange between Mexico and the United States.

Its site has long served as a crossroads for commerce and migration since colonial times, when it was part of the Paso del Norte region. The settlement grew as a trading post and river crossing. In 1888, it was renamed Ciudad Juárez in honor of Benito Juárez, a key 19th-century Mexican president. The late 20th century saw rapid expansion in manufacturing.

Today, Ciudad Juárez hosts numerous maquiladoras and light manufacturing plants, with the economy closely tied to U.S. markets and cross-border supply chains. The city is part of the USMCA era's integrated manufacturing network. As of the early 2020s, the city proper has about 1.5 million residents, with a metropolitan area population of roughly 2.7 million.

Juárez has faced security challenges linked to organized crime and trafficking, particularly from the mid-2000s onward. Efforts by authorities and community programs have aimed to reduce violence and improve safety. Beyond its security profile, the city is known for its cross-border character, cultural diversity, and role as an economic and transportation hub in northern Mexico.