These Are the 31 States That Make Up Mexico

The country of Mexico is a beautiful, historic, and diverse country with a total population of 127,104,000. These residents span the country’s 31 states and the capital, Mexico City. Read on to discover the population, area, and geography of these 31 states.

1. Aguascalientes

The beautiful, historic state of Aguascalientes is the first on our list, with a population of 1,465,000 and total area of 2,168.2 square miles. The capital of Aguascalientes is also the largest city, named Aguascalientes just like the state. There are 11 total municipalities here.

2. Baja California

Baja California is a well-known state located in northern Mexico. The largest city is Tijuana, but the state’s capital is Mexicali. Baja California is 27,587 square miles with a population of 3,822,000, and the state has 6 total municipalities.

3. Baja California Sur

The state of Baja California Sur is just south of Baja California, with La Paz as the capital. This Baja is slightly larger than the previous, with an area of 28,536.6 square miles. However, the population is substantially less, with only 759,000 residents in 2023. Baja California Sur also only has 5 municipalities.

4. Campeche

Campeche is another beautiful state located in Mexico. It’s in the southeast region of the country and boasts a population of 965,000 residents. It is 22,195 square miles in size, with 13 municipalities. Campeche’s capital is San Francisco de Campeche, which is also the state’s largest city.

5. Chiapas

The southern state of Chiapas is 28,305.5 square miles in size with a total 2023 population of 5,602,000. The state has an incredible 124 municipalities over its almost 30,000 square miles. The largest city and capital of Chiapas is Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

6. Chihuahua

The famous state of Chihuahua has 67 municipalities and a capital city named after the state. The size of Chihuahua is substantial, spanning over 95,000 square miles. However, the population isn’t gigantic, with only 3,806,000 2023 residents.

7. Coahuila

The state of Coahuila sits along Mexico’s northern border. It’s largest city and capital is Saltillo, and the state spans 58,531.1 square miles. While its size is substantial, Coahuila only has 38 municipalities and 3,189,000 residents.

8. Colima

The Mexican state of Colima is a small state sitting beside the Pacific Ocean. It’s just over 2,000 square miles in size, with 830,000 residents in 2023. There are 10 municipalities in the state, with Colima being the state’s capital.

9. Durango

Durango is 47,631.1 square miles in size with 39 municipalities. The capital, and largest city, is Victoria de Durango, and the state has a total of 1,846,000 residents as of 2023.

10. Guanajuato

With 6,205,000 residents and 46 municipalities, Guanajuato is a moderate-size state located in the center of Mexico. It spans 11,817.3 square miles and its capital is also called Guanajuato.

11. Guerrero

Guerrero is a southern state located along the Pacific Ocean. Its capital is Chilpancingo de los Bravo, and the state has a total population of 3,556,000. It is 24,554 square miles in size, with 81 municipalities.

12. Hidalgo

The state of Hidalgo is just over 8,000 square miles in size, containing 84 municipalities. It has a population of 3,115,000 and its capital is Pachuca de Soto.

13. Jalisco

The historic state of Jalisco is 30,346 square miles in size. While there are only 8,400,000 residents, the state’s population is divided over 125 municipalities! The capital of Jalisco is the well-known city of Guadalajara.

14. México

With the same name as the country, México is the most populous state in Mexico. While its size is only 8,630 square miles, there are 17,102,000 residents in the state’s 125 municipalities. The state’s capital is Toluca de Lerdo.

15. Michoacán 

The southern state of Michoacán has a size of 22,625 square miles and a population of 4,736,000 residents as of 2023. There are 113 municipalities in the state and the largest city and capital is Morelia.

16. Morelos

The colorful city of Morelos is 1,883 square miles in size with a population of 2,016,000. It is made up of 36 municipalities, and its largest city and capital is Cuernavaca.

17. Nayarit

The state of Nayarit is located along the western border of Mexico. While it is 10,755.5 square miles in size, the state has only 20 municipalities. Its population is 1,274,000 and its capital is Tepic.

18. Nuevo León

Nuevo León is a northern state of Mexico with a population of 5,846,000 residents. Within its 24,770 square miles, it has 51 municipalities. The state’s largest city is Monterrey, which is also its capital.

19. Oaxaca

The historic state of Oaxaca is a whopping 36,200 square miles in size. While the state has a population of only 4 million residents, it has the most municipalities of any Mexican state: 570, to be exact!

20. Puebla

The stunning state of Puebla has a population of 6,535,000 residents. While it has a population of 13,247 square miles, almost half of the state’s residents live in Puebla de Zaragoza, the state’s largest city and capital.

21. Querétaro

Querétaro is a state located in central Mexico with a population of 2,404,000 residents. It has 18 municipalities and spans just over 4,500 square miles.

22. Quintana Roo

The beautiful state of Quintana Roo is 17,260 square miles. While it is substantial in size, it has only 1,895,000 residents and 11 municipalities. Its largest city is Cancún, a well-known travel destination.

23. San Luis Potosí

The state of San Luis Potosí has 2,815,000 residents and 58 municipalities. It’s 23,605 square miles in area and its largest city and capital is also named San Luis Potosí.

24. Sinaloa

The beautiful state of Sinaloa has a population of just over 3 million residents. It’s located along the Pacific Ocean, and it has 18 municipalities spread over 22,148 square miles.

25. Sonora

The state of Sonora contains portions of the incredible Sonoran Desert. The state spans almost 70,000 square miles, making it the largest state in Mexico by area. It has only 3 million residents, but 72 municipalities.

26. Tabasco

The recognizable state of Tabasco is located in the southern portion of Mexico, right along the Gulf. It is 9,548 square miles in size with 2,435,000 residents. 17 municipalities make up the state, and its capital is Villahermosa.

27. Tamaulipas

Tamaulipas is a state with a population of 3,506,000 spread over 43 municipalities. While its population is moderate, it is almost 31,000 square miles in size. The capital of Tamaulipas is Ciudad Victoria, though the state’s largest city is Reynosa.

28. Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala is a small, centrally located state with 1,405,000 residents. There are 60 municipalities in the Mexican state spread over 1,543 square miles.

29. Veracruz

The stunning state of Veracruz is 27,731 square miles in size and hosts a population of 8,105,000 residents. It contains 212 municipalities, and the largest city in the state is also named Veracruz.

30. Yucatán

The well-known state of Yucatán is located on the tip of Mexico, bordering the Gulf. It has a population of 2,374,000 residents and 106 municipalities. The state spans 15,260 square miles, and its largest city and capital is Mérida.

31. Zacatecas

Finally, the 31st state of Mexico is Zacatecas. This state is 29,064 square miles in size and hosts 1,674,000 residents. It has 58 municipalities, and its largest city and capital is also named Zacatecas.

Summary of the States that Make Up Mexico

Here’s a quick summary of some of the facts you just read about the states that make up Mexico: