Creel, Chihuahua facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Creel
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City
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Cristo Rey Temple in Creel.
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 Creel
Location in Mexico
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| Country | Mexico |
| State | Chihuahua |
| Municipality | Bocoyna |
| Founded | May 26, 1907 |
| Elevation | 2,350 m (7,710 ft) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 5,026 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| Area code(s) | 635 |
Creel is a small town located high in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It's known as a gateway to the amazing Copper Canyon, which is even bigger than the Grand Canyon!
Creel is special because many of its residents are Rarámuri people, also known as Tarahumara. They are an indigenous group, and you'll often hear their native language spoken in town, even during church services. The town is about 175 kilometers (109 miles) southwest of Chihuahua City, the state capital.
For a long time, Creel was a town focused on cutting down trees for wood. But in the last 20 years, tourism has become the main way people make a living. This is because Creel is so close to beautiful natural spots like the Copper Canyon and Basaseachic Falls, one of Mexico's tallest waterfalls. You can find many hotels and restaurants here, and lots of tours that take you deep into the canyons and the surrounding areas.
History of Creel
Creel was officially started on May 26, 1907. It was first called 'Estación Creel' because it was a train station on the Chihuahua–Pacific railway line. The town was named after Enrique Creel, who was the governor of Chihuahua state at that time. His father, Reuben W. Creel, was an American diplomat.
When Creel was founded, it was planned as a farming community. The idea was to have a small number of Mexican families live there alongside many Rarámuri families. The hope was that the Mexican culture would mix with the Rarámuri culture. They planned for 25 Mexican families and 75 Rarámuri families. However, in the early years, there were only about 30 Rarámuri families, even though the number of Mexican families was about right.
For many years, the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico train line ended right here in Creel before it was fully completed.
Weather in Creel
Creel is located very high up in the mountains, about 2,350 meters (7,710 feet) above sea level. This high altitude gives it a cool mountain climate. The days are usually mild, but the nights can get quite cold. Frost often happens from October to April. Even though it's cold at night, the daytime temperatures during these months are usually comfortable.
It can rain in winter, but snow isn't super common. On average, it snows only about four days a year in Creel itself, though the nearby mountain peaks get more snow.
| Climate data for Creel (1951–2010) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) |
27.0 (80.6) |
27.0 (80.6) |
31.0 (87.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
37.0 (98.6) |
38.0 (100.4) |
32.0 (89.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.0 (84.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.4 (56.1) |
15.4 (59.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.3 (75.7) |
27.1 (80.8) |
25.0 (77.0) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.2 (73.8) |
21.0 (69.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
14.7 (58.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) |
5.5 (41.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
10.2 (50.4) |
13.5 (56.3) |
17.2 (63.0) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
15.6 (60.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
5.2 (41.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
2.6 (36.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
10.0 (50.0) |
7.9 (46.2) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
1.8 (35.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −21.3 (−6.3) |
−21.0 (−5.8) |
−23.0 (−9.4) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
1.6 (34.9) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−13.0 (8.6) |
−22.5 (−8.5) |
−23.0 (−9.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 48.9 (1.93) |
32.5 (1.28) |
21.7 (0.85) |
17.1 (0.67) |
16.3 (0.64) |
64.0 (2.52) |
154.5 (6.08) |
137.8 (5.43) |
88.8 (3.50) |
46.6 (1.83) |
26.5 (1.04) |
49.3 (1.94) |
704.0 (27.72) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 5.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 8.5 | 18.5 | 16.9 | 11.0 | 5.0 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 84.5 |
| Average snowy days | 1.38 | 0.61 | 0.72 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.42 | 0.70 | 3.91 |
| Source 1: Servicio Meteorológico National | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Colegio de Postgraduados | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Creel
Creel is an important stop for travelers.
- The famous Chihuahua al Pacífico (Chepe) railroad passes through Creel. This train connects Chihuahua City all the way to Los Mochis on the coast. Four passenger trains arrive daily, two from each direction.
- You can also catch a bus to Chihuahua City.
- There's regular bus service to the small town of Batopilas, which is a trip that takes about five hours one way.
Images for kids
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Lake Arareco.
See also
In Spanish: Creel para niños
