Geography
Guerrero covers 63,596 km² and about four-fifths of it is the Sierra Madre del Sur, a range that reaches the sea along most of the state's roughly 500 km of coast and leaves only narrow coastal plains. The highest ground is Cerro Teotepec, about 3,550 m, in the range south-west of Chilpancingo. The capital itself sits at 1,250 m in a valley on Highway 95, and Taxco in the north stands at about 1,750 m.
The Balsas River defines the northern edge of the state for much of its length and separates Guerrero from Michoacán and the State of Mexico; its basin is the largest on Mexico's Pacific side, and the El Caracol dam on the Balsas supplies hydroelectric power. Behind the river lies Tierra Caliente, a hot lowland of maize, sesame and cattle. In the north the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa cut through limestone near the Morelos line, one of the largest cave systems in the country.
The coast divides into the Costa Grande north-west of Acapulco, which includes Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, and the Costa Chica south-east of it, home to much of Mexico's Afro-descendant population. Acapulco Bay is a deep drowned valley almost closed by a headland, which is why it worked as a Pacific port from 1565: the Manila galleons ran between Acapulco and the Philippines for 250 years. Hurricane Otis struck the bay as a Category 5 storm on 25 October 2023, the strongest landfall recorded on this coast. Guerrero is split into seven regions and 81 municipalities, and it produces most of Mexico's silver alongside Zacatecas.
Main cities
The state takes its name from Vicente Guerrero, an insurgent leader of the independence war and Mexico's second president, and was created in 1849 out of land taken from Mexico State, Puebla and Michoacán. The Congress of Chilpancingo of 1813, which issued the first declaration of Mexican independence, met in the town that is now the capital. Figures are 2020 INEGI census counts for the whole municipality. Acapulco de Juárez holds more than a fifth of the state population, and the capital is only the second city.
| Municipality | Population (2020) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Acapulco de Juárez | 779,566 | Pacific port and resort; airport ACA |
| Chilpancingo de los Bravo | 283,354 | Capital; 1,250 m on Highway 95 |
| Iguala de la Independencia | 154,000 | Northern road and rail junction |
| Chilapa de Álvarez | 129,000 | Highlands market town |
| Zihuatanejo (José Azueta) | 126,000 | Costa Grande; Ixtapa resort, airport ZIH |
| Taxco de Alarcón | 105,586 | Silver town, about 1,750 m |
| Tlapa de Comonfort | 92,000 | La Montaña regional centre |
| Coyuca de Benítez | 78,000 | Coastal lagoon west of Acapulco |
| Ometepec | 65,000 | Costa Chica, Highway 200 |
Neighbouring states
Five states border Guerrero. Clockwise from the west: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca. The Michoacán and State of Mexico borders follow the Balsas; Morelos and Puebla meet the state in the north near Taxco and Huamuxtitlán; and the Oaxaca border runs down the Costa Chica to the sea. The Pacific forms the whole southern edge. Guerrero belongs to Southern Mexico, its coast to the Pacific Coast, and its mountains to the Sierra Madre.
Getting there
Acapulco (ACA) and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (ZIH) are the two airports with scheduled international service; Chilpancingo has none, and the capital is reached by road. Highway 95D, the Autopista del Sol, runs from Mexico City through Cuernavaca, Chilpancingo and on to Acapulco — 380 km in about four hours, with the toll-free Highway 95 shadowing it through Taxco and Iguala in six. Highway 200 follows the coast from the Michoacán line through Zihuatanejo and Acapulco into Oaxaca, and Highway 134 crosses Tierra Caliente to Zihuatanejo from Toluca. Driving times inside the state run long: Chilpancingo to Tlapa is 210 km but four hours, and the Costa Chica villages are reached from Highway 200 on unpaved side roads. Long-distance buses connect Mexico City to Acapulco and Zihuatanejo through the day. See the road map, the airports map and the beaches map.
Questions about Guerrero
Where is Guerrero on the map of Mexico?
On the Pacific coast south-west of Mexico City, between Michoacán and Oaxaca. Acapulco is 380 km from the capital by the Highway 95D toll road, about four hours.
How far is Acapulco from Mexico City?
380 km by Highway 95D, the Autopista del Sol, in about four hours; the free Highway 95 through Taxco and Iguala takes six or more. Acapulco airport (ACA) is a 55-minute flight from Mexico City.
What is Taxco known for?
Silver. The town sits at about 1,750 m in the northern Sierra Madre del Sur, was a Spanish mining centre from the 1530s, and has been a silversmithing town since the 1930s. It is 170 km from Mexico City on Highway 95.
Is Guerrero safe to visit?
The state has among the highest recorded homicide rates in Mexico and the US State Department has placed it on its do-not-travel list, with a limited exception for Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Taxco reached by air or the toll road. Check the current advisory before planning a trip.