Baja California · Mexico
Mexicali travel guide
Mexicali is a city in Baja California, Mexico, home to about 854,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- MXL22 km · General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport
- Currency
- MXNpeso
- Time zone
- America/Tijuana
- Language
- Nahuatl, Spanish, Yucatec Maya
About
About Mexicali
Mexicali is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which abuts the Mexico–United States border and the U.S. city of Calexico, California, is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality.
The municipality of Mexicali has a population of around 1.1 million people (2020), of whom about 800,000 people live in the city proper. Mexicali has grown from a small border town to a modern city with a sizable middle class and an even bigger upper class. The standard of living is among the highest in Mexico. It is recognized in Mexico for its sizable investment in education and low unemployment. It is a progressive city with main industry that has gone from agricultural to industrial.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Mexicali
See
- Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Museo Interactivo Sol del Niño
- Plaza de Toros Calafia
- Bosque y Zoologico de la Ciudad
- Parque Vicente Guerrero
- Centro Estatal de las Artes
- Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura
- Teatro del Estado
- UABC Museo
- Casa de la Cultura
- Salon de la Fama
- Bellas Artes
Do
- Estadio Casas Geo
- Club de Golf Campestre
- Bol Bol Boliche
- Caliente Sport Book
- Cinepolis Movie Theaters
- IMAX Theater
- Musicales y Joyeria "Iris"
- Banda de Música Regional de Guamúchil Sinaloa
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Mexicali
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Capital O Baja Place Inn OYO Rooms | 3.5 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Mexicali
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Mexicali are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 42 °C; January is the wettest, with about 9 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Mexicali: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL), about 22 km from the city centre in a straight line; Imperial County Airport (IPL, 24 km) and Yuma International Airport / Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (YUM, 81 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Mexicali is accessible from the United States through Calexico on Highway 111 (from El Centro and points north) and Highway 98 East (Yuma) and West (San Diego) via I-8. Either park at the border and continue on foot or drive into Mexico. Driving from the US to Mexico usually requires no stopping. Driving across the border from Mexico to the US may involve a long wait, especially during evening rush hour or on holiday weekends. Mexican insurance is required, which should be bought before your trip.
Getting around
Taxis are abundant in the city. You may either call for a site taxi (taxi de sitio) which are called beforehand and they can take you where you ask, or route taxis (taxi de ruta), which, like buses, have specific routes which they take. There are also multiple public buses, which can range from old school refurbished school buses with no air circulation to brand new metrobuses with air conditioning and television screens, which are more expensive.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MXL · General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport
IPL · Imperial County Airport
YUM · Yuma International Airport / Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Mexicali
Eat
The selection of cuisine in Mexicali is very diverse. The Chinese contributed greatly to Mexicali cuisine with a very ample variety of dishes. Their food is as traditional to Mexicali as carne asada and its Chinese food is labeled as the best on the country, on par with that of San Francisco, and many tourists come to taste it. Mexicali Chinese food is its own style, different than Chinese food in China, or even across the border in the US. Good beer is another Mexicali tradition. World class beers have been produced in Mexicali since the early history. Today, there are small breweries that offer great varieties in terms of taste and characteristics.
Drink
The following venues are located around the intersection of México & Reforma, near the main cathedral.
Stay safe
While Mexicali has saved itself from the severity and degree of violence along the US-Mexico border and the insecurity is not as big as that of Tijuana, there is still potential for it to become dangerous, along with the violence that a regular metro city has such as petty theft, violence, and gang-related incidents. Avoid giving out money to beggars and homeless people standing in the street or along sidewalks and avoid buying things off the street to avoid trouble later. To avoid becoming part of the ongoing violence, do not buy illegal drugs. Overstocking yourself with prescription drugs will also warrant getting checked.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Mexicali: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Mexicali?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Mexicali are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 42 °C; January is the wettest, with about 9 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Mexicali?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL), about 22 km from the city centre in a straight line; Imperial County Airport (IPL, 24 km) and Yuma International Airport / Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (YUM, 81 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Mexicali?
peso (MXN).
Nearby
Destinations near Mexicali
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.