San Luis Río Colorado is a city and also the name of its surrounding municipality. In the 2015 census, the city had a population of 192,739. The city is the fourth-largest community in the state, and the municipality is also the fourth-largest in terms of population. Lying in the northwestern corner of the state of Sonora, the city marks the state border with Baja California. It also stands on the international border with the United States, adjacent to San Luis, Arizona. It is located about 75 km from Mexicali. The municipality covers an area of 8,412.75 km² in the Sonoran Desert.
History
Awarded city status in July 1958, San Luis Río Colorado serves as the administrative center for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The city is located on a mesa, characterized by a flat and sandy terrain. On Easter Sunday 2010, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the region. The Searsdepartment store and 5 schools were destroyed, affecting approximately 30,000 people in the region. San Luis Río Colorado was once an important inland port for steamers traveling the Colorado from the Gulf of California. Since the early 1900s the Colorado has been completely or nearly completely drained for irrigation. The once-formidable Colorado is usually dry or a small stream. San Luis Río Colorado is home to four regional medium-wave radio broadcast stations, among them 1350 XELBL-AM, all of which are popular long-distance reception targets for medium wave DX radio enthusiasts. Josse, a Mexican Latin beat singer recorded a song call "San Luis Río Colorado" at memorial for the river.
Festivities
Fiestas del Desierto celebrates the culture, biodiversity, cuisine and sports of the Sonoran Desert Region. Dates for 2012 are 9–11 November. San Luis Río Colorado has an intra-city economic exchange booth in the Annual Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival in Indio, California, USA.
Climate
San Luis Río Colorado has a desert climate, with extremely hot summers and mild winters; it is one of the hottest and driest cities in Mexico. The record high temperature is, recorded on 25 June 1951. The record low temperature is, recorded on 2 January 1950.
is the general aviation airport serving this city. The nearest International airport to San Luis Río Colorado is General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport near Mexicali. San Luis Río Colorado has highway connections to other parts of Mexico and the United States. Several intercity bus companies stop at the San Luis Río Colorado bus station.
