Navojoa
Navojoa is a city and the seat of its namesake municipality in the southern portion of Sonora state, northwestern Mexico, situated in the Mayo Valley along the Mayo River in the coastal plain adjacent to the Gulf of California.[1] As of the 2020 census, the municipality had a population of 164,387 residents, comprising 49.4% men and 50.6% women, reflecting a 4.22% increase from 2010.[1] The local economy centers on agriculture, leveraging the fertile valley for crop production, alongside manufacturing, aquaculture including shrimp farming, and livestock operations such as swine production that export primarily to the United States.[1] The region has long been inhabited by the Mayo indigenous people, with European exploration beginning in the 16th century, though the modern settlement achieved city status in 1923.[2] Navojoa functions as a commercial hub for surrounding rural areas, supporting irrigation-dependent farming in one of Mexico's productive agricultural zones.[3]Geography
Location and Physical Features
Navojoa lies in the southern portion of Sonora, Mexico, at coordinates 27°04′N 109°26′W.[4] It functions as the administrative seat of Navojoa Municipality, which covers 2,809 km² and borders municipalities including Etchojoa to the north, Huatabampo to the east, and Alamos to the west.[5] As the fifth-largest city in Sonora by urban population, Navojoa recorded 120,926 residents in its city proper during the 2020 census, with a density of 2,973 inhabitants per km² over 40.68 km².[6][7] The city occupies the fertile Mayo Valley, a flat alluvial plain formed by the Mayo River, which originates in the Sierra Madre Occidental and flows northwest through the region before reaching the Gulf of California approximately 50 km east of Navojoa.[8] This topography features low elevation around 46 meters above sea level and predominantly level terrain, ideal for mechanized agriculture.[9] The valley's hydrology relies on the Mayo River's seasonal flows, enabling irrigation across extensive farmlands that constitute a significant portion of the municipality's arable land, with over 83,000 hectares under cultivation in key agricultural cycles.[8] Alluvial soils deposited by the river support crops such as wheat and vegetables through flood-based and diverted water systems.