Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias

Chalco (de Díaz Covarrubias)
—  Town & Municipality  —
Church
Chalco (de Díaz Covarrubias)
Coordinates: 19°15′53″N 98°53′51″W / 19.26472°N 98.8975°W / 19.26472; -98.8975
Country	Mexico
State	State of Mexico
Founded
Municipal Status	1824
Government
– Municipal President	Vicente Alberto Onofre Vázquez (2006-2009)
Elevationof seat	2,240 m (7,349 ft)
Population (2010)Municipality
– Municipality	310,130
– Seat	168,720
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
Postal code (of seat)	56600
Demonym
Website	Official site

Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias is a city that is municipal seat of the surrounding municipality of Chalco. It lies in the eastern part of the state of México, just east of the Federal District of Mexico and is considered part of the Mexico City metropolitan area.

The city

Chalco-Tláhuac Road.

Interior of town church in the town of Chalco.

Its church was constructed in 1585, after being evangelized by the Franciscans and has been considered a city since 1861. The city had a 2010 census population of 168,720 inhabitants. It is an important center for dairy production as well as the manufacturing of thread and yarn of wool and cotton. A major employer is the San Rafael paper factory. ^[1] Government sources mention that the helicopter where Francisco Blake Mora traveled collided in this municipality, leaving 8 top government officials dead.^[2]

The municipality of Chalco

Statue of Santiago Apóstol, patron saint of the town as displayed in town church.

As the municipal seat, the city of Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias has governing jurisdiction over the following communities:

Ampliación de San Pedro, Barrio de Guadalupe, Camino a Cruz de Cortés, Camino al Monte, Caserío de Cortez, Colonia Calle Santa Cruz Amalinalco, Colonia del Moral, Colonia Emiliano Zapata (Besana de Inclán), Colonia Guadalupe de los Tepetates, Colonia Jazmín de las Flores (El Jazmín), Colonia Marco Antonio Sosa Balderas, Colonia Michoacana, Colonia San José, Colonia San José Axalco, Ejido San Marcos, El Coyote, El Molinito, El Naranjo, El Recodo de San José Axalco, El Tlalchichil, Granja Guadalupana, Granja San Javier, Granja San José, Granja Santa Anita, Granja Sonora, Hacienda del Moral (El Moral), Huixtomatitla (Tepalcates), Instituto Damián (Ex-hda. San Juan de Dios), Kilómetro 39 Carretera México Cuautla, La Candelaria Tlapala, La Chimenea, La Longaniza, La Magueyera, La Taberna, Las Colonias, Llano del Moral, Lomas de San Pablo, Los Almendrales, Los Arenales, Los Hornos, Paraje las Nieves, Paseos de Chalco, Paso del Oyamel, Pozo el Cuartito Número Dos, Rancho Amigo, Rancho del Ahuehuete, Rancho el Corazón, Rancho el Cupido, Rancho Elodia, Rancho Maravillas, Rancho Nuevo, Rancho Nuevo San Miguel, Rancho San Jorge, Rancho San Miguel, Rancho Santa María Atoyac, Rancho Tamariz (Rancho la Caballeriza), San Gregorio Cuautzingo, San Juan y San Pedro Tezompa, San Lucas Amalinalco, San Marcos Huixtoco, San Martín Cuautlalpan, San Mateo Huitzilzingo, San Mateo Tezoquipan, San Pablo Atlazalpan, Santa Ana (Predio San Juan), Santa Catarina Ayotzingo, Santa María Huexoculco, and Subestación de Luz Chalco

The municipality, which has an area of 234.72 km² (90.626 sq mi), had a population of 310,130 inhabitants at the 2010 census.

Chalco is often confused with the Valle de Chalco Solidaridad municipality as the name Chalco is a part of both. The major difference is that Valle de Chalco Solidaridad is located near the ancient Lake Chalco. In fact, Chalco is interconnected to Valle de Chalco through Avenida Solidaridad.

Towns and villages

Chalco is one of only three municipalities in Mexico that have at least nine localities of over 10,000 inhabitants. (It and Tijuana Municipality, Baja California both have nine, while Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Municipality, Jalisco has eleven.) The largest localities (cities, towns, and villages) are:^[3]

Name	2010 Census Population
Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias	168,720
San Martín Cuautlalpan	23,501
San Mateo Huitzilzingo	15,389
San Gregorio Cuautzingo	13,138
Santa María Huexoculco	12,456
San Marcos Huixtoco	12,229
San Juan Tezompa	11,819
San Pablo Atlazalpan	11,236
Santa Catarina Ayotzingo	10,702
Total Municipality	310,130

History of the area

The first civilization which arrived to what today is Chalco were the Acxotecas. According to Chimalpahin, they came from Tula and named themselves "chalcas" The second group arriving were the Mihuaques, who hadn't leaders and adopted those ones of the Acxotecas. Circa 1160, the Chichimecas Teotenancas arrived from the Toluca valley and came across Tlahuac. They all together formed the Chalca civilization. They lived there until 1510, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived. The place remained without inhabitants until the early 20th century. The municipality has expanded to the limits of Mexico City. Now many capitalinos (residents of the capital) are moving to Chalco looking for more peace and tranquility also because housing prices are so high in Mexico City.

Transportation

Chalco is served by the State of Mexico collective transports divided in geographical areas (AG-##) locating Chalco within the AG-10. Volkswagen vans ("combis" or "colectivos") transport people from the municipality to the boundaries of the Federal District in order to let people take the subway from that point into the inner Mexico City. Several colectivos also run from Chalco to Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport.

See also

• Universidad Azteca

Notable people

• Antonio Pujol (1913–1995), painter

References

1. ^ "Chalco de Díaz Covarrubias". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/5kwQmC3RK. Retrieved 2008-03-07. 
2. ^ "El helicóptero de Blake Mora tomó una ruta distinta por la nubosidad". CNN Mexico. http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2011/11/12/el-helicoptero-de-blake-mora-tomo-una-ruta-distinta-por-la-nubosidad. Retrieved 13 November 2011. 
3. ^ 2010 census tables: INEGI

• 2010 census tables: INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
• México Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México

Coordinates: 19°15′53″N 98°53′51″W / 19.26472°N 98.8975°W / 19.26472; -98.8975