States in the region
El Bajío is a geographic and economic region rather than an administrative one. Its core is three states — 9,961,008 people on 47,914 km² — to which most definitions add the Los Altos highlands of Jalisco, the plains of southern San Luis Potosí and the northern edge of Michoacán. Guanajuato is the sixth most populous state in Mexico; Aguascalientes is the fourth smallest state by area.
| State | Capital | Population (2020) | Area km² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guanajuato | Guanajuato | 6,166,934 | 30,607 |
| Querétaro | Querétaro | 2,368,467 | 11,691 |
| Aguascalientes | Aguascalientes | 1,425,607 | 5,616 |
Geography
The name means "the lowland", but only relative to the ranges around it: the plain lies at 1,700–2,000 m, on the southern lip of the Mexican Altiplano where it meets the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The Río Lerma crosses it from east to west, gathering the Laja and the Turbio before entering Jalisco and emptying into Lake Chapala; the Solís and Allende reservoirs regulate its flow for irrigation. The volcanic ash soils and a 500–700 mm summer rainfall make this the densest block of irrigated cropland in the country.
Hills close the plain in on three sides. The Sierra de Guanajuato rises behind the capital to about 2,900 m, and Cerro del Cubilete, topped by a 20 m statue of Christ finished in 1950, stands at 2,700 m between Guanajuato and Silao. To the north-east the ground climbs into the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, a biosphere reserve of about 3,835 km² that falls from pine forest to semi-desert canyons and holds five Franciscan mission churches listed by UNESCO in 2003. Cerro El Zamorano, 3,360 m, on the Querétaro–Guanajuato line, is the highest point in the region. The physical map shows how the plain sits between the two Sierra Madre ranges.
Main cities and sights
León is the largest city, 1,721,215 people in the municipality, and has made shoes and leather goods since the 19th century; it is the commercial capital of the region though not a state capital. Guanajuato, the state capital, is a university town of about 195,000 built in a ravine over the silver mines that made it rich — La Valenciana was one of the most productive silver mines in the world in the 18th century — and the historic town and its mines were inscribed by UNESCO in 1988. Its streets run partly through tunnels in old river channels.
San Miguel de Allende, 174,615 in the municipality, was listed by UNESCO in 2008 together with the sanctuary of Atotonilco; it has the largest US and Canadian resident community in inland Mexico. Querétaro pairs a UNESCO-listed 1996 colonial centre and a 1,280 m aqueduct of 74 arches with an aerospace cluster at its airport. Aguascalientes holds the region's biggest single manufacturing complex and the Feria Nacional de San Marcos, running since 1828. Dolores Hidalgo, 40 km north of Guanajuato, is where independence was declared on 16 September 1810.
Industry is the region's second story. Since the 1990s the corridor along Highway 45D between Aguascalientes, León, Irapuato, Celaya and Querétaro has taken vehicle assembly and component plants, an oil refinery at Salamanca and aerospace work at Querétaro, and it now grows faster than the national average. Irapuato (592,953) and Celaya (521,169) are the largest cities on the corridor without their own map page here.
When to go and getting around
October to April is dry, sunny and mild; nights are cold at 2,000 m from December to February. The rains come as afternoon storms from June to September. Late April and October are the busiest weeks because of the San Marcos fair and the Cervantino festival.
Three airports serve the region: Del Bajío (BJX) at Silao, between León and Guanajuato and about 20 km from either; Querétaro Intercontinental (QRO); and Aguascalientes (AGU). All three have direct US flights and are on the airports map. By road, Highway 57D runs from Mexico City to Querétaro (215 km, 2 h 30) and on to San Luis Potosí, while Highway 45D links Querétaro, Celaya, Irapuato, León and Aguascalientes. Guadalajara is about 230 km west of León, roughly 2 h 45. The road map shows the toll network, and the Central Mexico page covers the country on the far side of the Querétaro divide.
Questions about El Bajío
Where is El Bajío on the map of Mexico?
In the centre-north of the country, between Mexico City and Guadalajara, on the plains around the middle Lerma river at 1,700–2,000 m. Its core is Guanajuato, Querétaro, Aguascalientes, with the Los Altos highlands of Jalisco and southern San Luis Potosí often counted in.
How far is San Miguel de Allende from Mexico City?
About 275 km by road, 3 hours 30 minutes on Highway 57D via Querétaro. The nearest airports are Querétaro (QRO), 1 hour 15 minutes away, and Del Bajío (BJX) near León, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Why is El Bajío called the breadbasket of Mexico?
Flat alluvial plains, volcanic soil and irrigation from the Lerma river and its reservoirs make it the most productive farmland in the country. Guanajuato is Mexico's leading producer of broccoli and a leading producer of strawberries, sorghum and wheat.
What is the best time to visit El Bajío?
October to April. Days are 22–26 °C and dry; nights in Guanajuato and San Miguel, both near 2,000 m, drop close to 5 °C in December and January. The rains fall from June to September. The Cervantino festival fills Guanajuato in October and the Feria de San Marcos fills Aguascalientes from late April.