Map of Mexico with Chihuahua highlighted
Map of Mexico with Chihuahua highlighted

Chihuahua is a state in northwest Mexico that is divided into 67 municipalities. According to the 2020 INEGI census, Chihuahua is the 12th most populous state with 3,741,869 inhabitants and the largest by land area spanning 247,798.08 square kilometres (95,675.37 sq mi).

Municipalities in Chihuahua are administratively autonomous of the state according to the 115th article of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico. Every three years, citizens elect a municipal president (Spanish: presidente municipal) by a plurality voting system who heads a concurrently elected municipal council (ayuntamiento) responsible for providing all the public services for their constituents. The municipal council consists of a variable number of trustees and councillors (regidores y síndicos). Municipalities are responsible for public services (such as water and sewerage), street lighting, public safety, traffic, and the maintenance of public parks, gardens and cemeteries. They may also assist the state and federal governments in education, emergency fire and medical services, environmental protection and maintenance of monuments and historical landmarks. Since 1984, they have had the power to collect property taxes and user fees, although more funds are obtained from the state and federal governments than from their own income.

The largest municipality by population is Juárez, Mexico's sixth largest municipality, with 1,512,450 residents or approximately 40.4 percent of the state population. The smallest municipality by population is Huejotitán, with 824 residents. The largest municipality by land area is Ahumada, which spans 16,927.60 km2 (6,535.78 sq mi), and the smallest is Santa Bárbara, which spans 346.15 km2 (133.65 sq mi). The first municipality to incorporate was Rosales, on July 8, 1820, and the newest municipality is Guachochi, which incorporated on January 9, 1963.

Municipalities

  • Largest municipalities in Chihuahua by population
  • Ciudad Juárez, the largest municipality by population in Chihuahua.
  • Chihuahua, capital and second largest municipality by population.
  • Cuauhtémoc, third largest municipality by population.
  • Delicias, fourth largest municipality by population.
  • Hidalgo del Parral, fifth largest municipality by population.

State capital

Municipalities of Chihuahua
NameMunicipal seatPopulation (2020)Population (2010)ChangeLand areaPopulation density (2020)Incorporation date
km2sq mi
AhumadaMiguel Ahumada14,63511,457+27.7%16,927.606,535.780.9/km2 (2.2/sq mi)July 14, 1894
AldamaJuan Aldama26,04722,302+16.8%9,228.443,563.122.8/km2 (7.3/sq mi)December 11, 1824
AllendeValle de Ignacio Allende8,4878,409+0.9%2,136.76825.014.0/km2 (10.3/sq mi)January 5, 1826
Aquiles SerdánSanta Eulalia24,34410,688+127.8%495.82191.4449.1/km2 (127.2/sq mi)November 21, 1844
AscensiónAscensión26,09323,975+8.8%12,870.824,969.452.0/km2 (5.3/sq mi)October 18, 1887
BachinivaBachiniva5,8076,011−3.4%953.46368.136.1/km2 (15.8/sq mi)November 21, 1844
BallezaMariano Balleza16,44017,672−7.0%5,414.882,090.703.0/km2 (7.9/sq mi)January 5, 1826
BatopilasBatopilas11,27014,362−21.5%2,140.81826.575.3/km2 (13.6/sq mi)January 5, 1826
BocoynaBocoyna23,35128,766−18.8%2,710.211,046.428.6/km2 (22.3/sq mi)November 26, 1911
BuenaventuraSan Buenaventura25,14622,378+12.4%7,920.803,058.243.2/km2 (8.2/sq mi)January 5, 1826
CamargoSanta Rosalía de Camargo49,49948,748+1.5%13,767.905,315.823.6/km2 (9.3/sq mi)August 4, 1830
CarichiCarichi8,1138,795−7.8%2,594.731,001.833.1/km2 (8.1/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Casas GrandesCasas Grandes11,81510,587+11.6%3,759.171,451.423.1/km2 (8.1/sq mi)March 17, 1855
ChihuahuaChihuahua937,674819,543+14.4%8,393.343,240.69111.7/km2 (289.3/sq mi)August 7, 1821
ChínipasChínipas de Almada6,2228,441−26.3%1,993.14769.563.1/km2 (8.1/sq mi)November 21, 1844
CoronadoJosé Esteban Coronado2,0342,284−10.9%1,893.45731.071.1/km2 (2.8/sq mi)May 10, 1860
Coyame del SotolSantiago de Coyame1,2301,681−26.8%11,664.604,503.730.1/km2 (0.3/sq mi)November 21, 1844
CuauhtémocCiudad Cuauhtémoc180,638154,639+16.8%3,613.211,395.0750.0/km2 (129.5/sq mi)July 23, 1927
CusihuiriachiCusihuiriachi5,0995,414−5.8%1,610.56621.843.2/km2 (8.2/sq mi)July 19, 1823
DeliciasDelicias150,506137,935+9.1%533.92206.15281.9/km2 (730.1/sq mi)January 12, 1935
Dr. Belisario DomínguezSan Lorenzo2,4562,911−15.6%1,034.66399.482.4/km2 (6.1/sq mi)July 19, 1823
El TuleEl Tule1,4481,869−22.5%470.50181.663.1/km2 (8.0/sq mi)February 22, 1859
GaleanaHermenegildo Galeana6,6565,892+13.0%1,731.53668.553.8/km2 (10.0/sq mi)September 21, 1829
Gómez FaríasValentín Gómez Farias7,0238,624−18.6%854.41329.898.2/km2 (21.3/sq mi)December 15, 1951
Gran MorelosSan Nicolás de Carretas2,4483,209−23.7%486.14187.705.0/km2 (13.0/sq mi)July 19, 1823
GuachochiGuachochi50,18049,689+1.0%6,984.112,696.587.2/km2 (18.6/sq mi)January 9, 1963
GuadalupeGuadalupe4,2376,458−34.4%6,000.972,316.990.7/km2 (1.8/sq mi)March 17, 1855
Guadalupe y CalvoGuadalupe y Calvo50,51453,499−5.6%9,649.923,725.855.2/km2 (13.6/sq mi)February 16, 1837
GuazaparesTémoris8,1968,998−8.9%1,825.89704.984.5/km2 (11.6/sq mi)November 21, 1844
GuerreroVicente Guerrero35,47339,626−10.5%5,737.992,215.456.2/km2 (16.0/sq mi)January 5, 1826
Hidalgo del ParralHidalgo del Parral116,662107,061+9.0%1,926.86743.9660.5/km2 (156.8/sq mi)August 7, 1821
HuejotitánHuejotitán8241,049−21.4%854.34329.861.0/km2 (2.5/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Ignacio ZaragozaIgnacio Zaragoza5,1966,934−25.1%2,864.201,105.871.8/km2 (4.7/sq mi)May 24, 1941
JanosJanos11,00510,953+0.5%7,420.462,865.061.5/km2 (3.8/sq mi)February 16, 1837
JiménezJosé Mariano Jiménez40,85941,265−1.0%10,789.584,165.883.8/km2 (9.8/sq mi)December 14, 1824
JuárezCiudad Juárez1,512,4501,332,131+13.5%3,550.431,370.83426.0/km2 (1,103.3/sq mi)January 5, 1826
JulimesJulimes4,9804,953+0.5%4,125.541,592.881.2/km2 (3.1/sq mi)August 28, 1833
La CruzLa Cruz3,7043,982−7.0%1,054.64407.203.5/km2 (9.1/sq mi)April 21, 1868
LópezVilla López (Octaviano López)4,1224,025+2.4%1,350.25521.333.1/km2 (7.9/sq mi)November 21, 1844
MaderaCd. Madera25,14429,611−15.1%8,748.413,377.782.9/km2 (7.4/sq mi)July 13, 1911
MaguarichiMaguarichi1,3021,921−32.2%1,007.99389.191.3/km2 (3.3/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Manuel BenavidesManuel Benavides1,1781,601−26.4%5,032.181,942.940.2/km2 (0.6/sq mi)December 11, 1937
MatachiMatachi2,7423,104−11.7%728.06281.113.8/km2 (9.8/sq mi)November 21, 1844
MatamorosMariano Matamoros4,3144,499−4.1%1,184.19457.223.6/km2 (9.4/sq mi)July 31, 1874
MeoquiPedro Meoqui44,85343,833+2.3%429.79165.94104.4/km2 (270.3/sq mi)August 7, 1821
MorelosMorelos7,2668,343−12.9%2,186.92844.383.3/km2 (8.6/sq mi)November 21, 1844
MorisMoris4,4475,312−16.3%1,809.77698.752.5/km2 (6.4/sq mi)November 21, 1844
NamiquipaNamiquipa22,71222,880−0.7%4,866.131,878.824.7/km2 (12.1/sq mi)November 21, 1844
NonoavaNonoava2,7572,849−3.2%2,004.15773.811.4/km2 (3.6/sq mi)July 19, 1823
Nuevo Casas GrandesNuevo Casas Grandes65,75359,337+10.8%2,604.831,005.7325.2/km2 (65.4/sq mi)December 21, 1922
OcampoMelchor Ocampo8,1277,546+7.7%1,798.39694.364.5/km2 (11.7/sq mi)February 16, 1837
OjinagaOjinaga24,53426,304−6.7%6,804.432,627.213.6/km2 (9.3/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Práxedis G. GuerreroPraxedis G. Guerrero5,1114,799+6.5%371.10143.2813.8/km2 (35.7/sq mi)February 22, 1859
Riva PalacioSan Andrés7,6958,012−4.0%2,266.23875.003.4/km2 (8.8/sq mi)March 17, 1855
RosalesSanta Cruz de Rosales16,77616,785−0.1%1,929.71745.078.7/km2 (22.5/sq mi)July 8, 1820
RosarioValle del Rosario2,0792,235−7.0%1,174.10453.321.8/km2 (4.6/sq mi)November 21, 1844
San Francisco de BorjaSan Francisco de Borja2,1972,290−4.1%1,321.61510.281.7/km2 (4.3/sq mi)July 19, 1823
San Francisco de ConchosSan Francisco de Conchos2,6962,983−9.6%879.98339.763.1/km2 (7.9/sq mi)November 21, 1844
San Francisco del OroSan Francisco del Oro5,0044,753+5.3%480.75185.6210.4/km2 (27.0/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Santa BárbaraSanta Bárbara11,58210,427+11.1%346.15133.6533.5/km2 (86.7/sq mi)July 14, 1829
Santa IsabelSanta Isabel3,7913,937−3.7%670.51258.885.7/km2 (14.6/sq mi)July 19, 1823
SatevoSan Francisco Javier de Satevo3,4143,662−6.8%3,562.151,375.351.0/km2 (2.5/sq mi)November 21, 1844
SaucilloSaucillo29,86232,325−7.6%3,044.341,175.439.8/km2 (25.4/sq mi)December 2, 1896
TemósachicTemósachic5,3206,211−14.3%4,280.771,652.811.2/km2 (3.2/sq mi)November 21, 1844
UriqueUrique17,04320,386−16.4%3,307.241,276.935.2/km2 (13.3/sq mi)December 14, 1860
UruachiUruachi6,5128,200−20.6%2,663.071,028.222.4/km2 (6.3/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Valle de ZaragozaValle de Zaragoza4,7755,105−6.5%2,959.101,142.511.6/km2 (4.2/sq mi)November 21, 1844
Chihuahua3,741,8693,406,465+9.8%247,798.0895,675.3715.1/km2 (39.1/sq mi)
Mexico126,014,024112,336,538+12.2%1,972,550761,60663.9/km2 (165.5/sq mi)

Notes