Ensenada, Baja California
Ensenada is a city in Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Located on the Bahía de Todos Santos, the city had a population of 279,765 in 2018, making it the third-largest city in Baja California. The city is an important international trade center and home to the Port of Ensenada, the second-busiest port in Mexico. Ensenada is a major tourist destination, owing to its warm climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and is commonly known as La Cenicienta del Pacífico ("The Cinderella of the Pacific").
Ensenada, Baja California | |
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City and municipality | |
Top: view of Ensenada from the Pacific; middle: Riviera del Pacífico Cultural Center (left), Downtown Ensenada (right); bottom: Ensenada’s Pacific Coast (left) and Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (right). | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
| Nicknames: Cenicienta del Pacífico (Cinderella of the Pacific) | |
Ensenada Location in Mexico Ensenada Ensenada (Mexico) | |
| Coordinates: 31°51′28″N 116°36′21″W | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Baja California |
| Municipality | Ensenada |
| Founded | May 15, 1882 (By Porfirio Díaz) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Ayuntamiento |
| • Municipal President | Armando Ayala Robles |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 19,878 km2 (7,675 sq mi) |
| • City | 79.17 km2 (30.57 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
| • Municipality | 443,807 |
| • Density | 22/km2 (58/sq mi) |
| • City | 330,652 |
| • City density | 4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Ensenadan (English), ensenadense (Spanish) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Postal code | 22800-22899 |
| Area code | 646 |
Ensenada was founded in 1882, when the small community of Rancho Ensenada de Santos was made the regional capital for the northern partition of the Baja California Territory. The city grew significantly with the proliferation of mines in the surrounding mountains. While the Mexican Revolution curtailed much of Ensenada's expansion, the onset of Prohibition in the United States transformed the city into a popular tourist destination for Americans seeking entertainment and alcohol. Ensenada's reputation as a resort town was cemented by the 1950s and 1960s, which saw a construction boom and the city's rise in international prominence outside of North America.
Today, Ensenada is a major economic and cultural hub for Baja California. The city is home to numerous universities, like the Ensenada Institute of Technology and the Autonomous University of Baja California, Ensenada. Ensenada is an important biotechnology hub and is home to numerous research institutions, like the Ensenada Center for Scientific Research. The city is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.