Navojoa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Navojoa
City
Navojoa City Hall with a small replica of the Angel de la Independencia
Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  La Perla del Mayo
Navojoa Location in Sonora Show map of Sonora Navojoa Location in Mexico Show map of Mexico
Country	Mexico
State	Sonora
Municipality	Navojoa Municipality
Founded	1907
Area
• Total	4,380.69 km2 (1,691.39 sq mi)
Elevation	50 m (160 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	164,387
Demonym(s)	Navojoense
Time zone	UTC-7 (Pacific (US Mountain))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (No DST)
Postal code	85800
Area code(s)	642
Federal Routes
State Routes

Navojoa is a city in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the fifth-largest city in the state. You can find it in the southern part of Sonora, in the Mayo River Valley. Navojoa is also the main city of the Navojoa Municipality.

History of Navojoa

The name Navojoa comes from the native Mayo language. It means "Cactus House" or "Cactus Place." The Mayo people have lived in this valley for a very long time, even before Europeans arrived.

Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon, a beautiful church in Navojoa.

In 1536, a Spanish explorer named Diego de Guzmán was the first European to visit the valley. Later, in 1614, Jesuit missionaries started to settle here. They founded a mission called Mission Santa Catalina Camoa. You can still find ancient geoglyphs (large designs on the ground) made by the Mayo tribe along the Mayo River.

Navojoa was far from Mexico City, so it wasn't much affected by Mexico's fight for independence in the early 1800s. However, it became important after the Mexican Revolution in 1910. Álvaro Obregón, a key leader in the revolution, was born near Navojoa. He later became president of Mexico.

As president, Álvaro Obregón started an "agricultural revolution" in the Mayo and Yaqui Valleys. He brought in new farming methods. This made the valley one of the best places for farming in Mexico.

What is Navojoa's Economy Like?

Navojoa is a big part of the Mayo Valley's economy. This area, along with Ciudad Obregón and the Yaqui Valley, is one of Mexico's most productive farming regions.

Even though agriculture is still the main way people earn money, Navojoa is also growing in other areas. It's getting more industrial investments from other countries. Aquaculture, especially shrimp farming, is also becoming very important.

Navojoa has several large businesses. These include companies that raise pigs and export them to the United States, Germany, and Japan. There's also a factory that makes recycled paperboard and boxes. A brewery, which is part of the FEMSA group, is another major industry.

The city's location is great for business. It's close to the coast, the desert, and mountains. It's also near the United States and the state of Sinaloa. Navojoa is about 64 kilometers (40 miles) south of Ciudad Obregón. A main toll highway, Mex. 15, connects them. This highway goes north all the way to the Arizona border in the United States.

The Clock Tower in Navojoa.

Getting Around Navojoa

Navojoa has several ways to travel, whether you're arriving or moving around the city.

Airports Near Navojoa

The closest airport for commercial flights is Ciudad Obregón International Airport (CEN). It's about 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Navojoa. You can fly there from many Mexican cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City. There are also international flights from places like Los Angeles and Houston in the United States.

Other airports you could use are Hermosillo International Airport (HMO) and Los Mochis (LMM). Navojoa also has a small local airport for private planes. It's about 8 kilometers (5 miles) south of the city center.

Bus Services

Many bus companies offer rides from Navojoa to other parts of Mexico. You can also travel to international places like Tucson, Phoenix, and Los Angeles in the US. Some companies even connect to other cities in the USA and Canada.

Inside Navojoa, old public city buses have been replaced with new ones that have air conditioning. These new buses are called SUBA. They run often and are a simple, cheap way to get around.

Railroad Connections

There's a railroad that runs north and south through Navojoa. It's only for freight (carrying goods), not passengers. This railroad connects to the Mexican border in Nogales and to Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Highways for Travel

A highway connecting Navojoa to Ciudad Obregón.

The most important highway for Navojoa is Mexican Federal Highway 15. This is a four-lane highway. It goes north to cities like Ciudad Obregón, Hermosillo, and then to the United States. To the south, it connects to other Mexican states like Sinaloa and Jalisco, and eventually to Mexico City.

Two main state highways also serve Navojoa: Sonora State Highway 149 and Sonora State Highway 162.

There's also a road called the Periférico. It's like a partial beltway around the southern and western parts of Navojoa. Trucks often use it to bypass the city center.

Álvaro Obregón Boulevard, a main street in Navojoa.

Other Ways to Get Around

Most streets in Navojoa are paved. However, in smaller towns nearby, like San Ignacio Cohuirimpo, people still use horse-drawn carts. These carts are so common that there's even a special parking lot for them on Hidalgo Avenue, near the City Market.

Education in Navojoa

Navojoa has many places where you can go to college or university. Here are some of them:

• Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON)
• Universidad de Sonora - Navojoa Campus
• Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Campus Navojoa (UPN)
• Universidad de Navojoa - This school is connected to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It's also known as Colegio del Pacifico.
• Universidad Estatal de Sonora (UES)
• Instituto Pedagógigo de Postgrado de Sonora (IPPSON)
• Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) - Obregón Campus/Navojoa Unit
• Atelier Sonorense
• Universidad TecMilenio Campus Navojoa
• Universidad del Desarrollo Profesional (UNIDEP) Campus Navojoa

Fun Things to Do in Navojoa (Tourism)

Navojoa has many hotels for visitors, with different prices and styles. Most hotels are found along Pesqueira Street.

The Álvaro Obregón Monument.

Museums to Explore

• The "Museo Regional del Mayo" (Mayo's Regional Museum) is in the old railroad station building. It has five rooms with art, crafts, and sculptures. You can also see ancient objects from before the Spanish arrived, and learn about the Mayo culture and Navojoa's history.
• The Tehuelibampo Museum is an eco-museum. It has 89 petroglyphs (carvings in stone) made by the Mayo people over 500 years ago. It's located near the Mayo River, a few kilometers northwest of Navojoa.

Beaches and Outdoor Fun

Navojoa is close to the Gulf of California, which has many beaches. The area around the city is also popular for hunting ducks, doves, and deer.

• Las Bocas is a small beach town about 30 miles south of Navojoa. Locals from Navojoa often visit it in spring, especially during "Semana Santa" (Holy Week). Many families camp there for a week before returning for Easter. Some people from Navojoa even own second homes in Las Bocas.
• Another nearby beach is "Huatabampito". It's about an hour away in the town of Huatabampo. Many families go there all year to enjoy the ocean.

Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez Dam

The Adolfo Ruiz Cortines Dam, also called Mocúzarit, is a popular spot for fishing. It also stores water that helps irrigate the valley through the Mayo River. You can also go kayaking, water-skiing, and see geoglyphs there.

Visiting Nearby Towns

Navojoa is also a good starting point for visiting the colonial town of Álamos. It's about 48 kilometers (30 miles) inland, towards the Sierra Madre mountains.

Navojoa's Climate

Navojoa has a climate that is almost a semi-arid climate (dry) or a desert climate. This means it has warm winters and very hot summers. It doesn't rain much, but when it does, it's usually during the summer monsoon season.

Sister Cities of Navojoa

Santa Fe Springs Square in Navojoa.

Navojoa has special connections with other cities around the world. These are called "sister cities":

• Santa Fe Springs, California, United States
• Almería, Almería, Spain
• Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

Sports in Navojoa

Navojoa has two main public sports centers for everyone to enjoy.

• "Unidad Deportiva Faustino Félix Serna" has many fields for baseball and softball. It also has basketball courts, a swimming pool, a professional baseball stadium, and a professional basketball arena.
• The other main sports center is "Unidad Deportiva Oriente", located in the eastern part of the city.

There are also private sports clubs, like the "Casino Social de Navojoa" and "La Quinta Racquet Club."

Navojoa has its own baseball team called the Mayos de Navojoa. They play in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, which is the most important baseball league in Mexico.

The Estadio Manuel "Ciclón" Echeverría, home of the Mayos de Navojoa baseball team.

Famous Baseball Players from Navojoa

Several well-known baseball players who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) are from Navojoa:

• Gabriel "Gabe" Alvarez (played for the Detroit Tigers)
• Luis Alfonso "Cochito" Cruz (played for the LA Dodgers)
• Francisco "Paquín" Estrada (played for the New York Mets)
• Isidro Márquez (played for the Chicago White Sox)
• Fernando Valenzuela (played for the LA Dodgers)

Other Famous People from Navojoa

Here are some other famous people who were born in or are from Navojoa:

• Valentín Elizalde, a popular Banda singer
• Ignacio Almada, a writer
• Javier Alatorre, a journalist and news anchor for TV Azteca
• Álvaro Obregón, who became President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924
• Luis Ramón "Yori Boy" Campas, a boxer and former world champion
• Beatriz Adriana, a folk music singer
• Manuel Echeverría, a baseball player
• Arturo Chacón Cruz, a tenor (opera singer)
• Rafael Moreno, a Catholic singer
• Rodolfo Coronel, a popular folk music singer
• Juan Manuel González Flores, a vice-president of the International University Sports Federation
• Ana Patricia Gámez, winner of Nuestra Belleza Latina 2010
• Maria Mazon, a competitor on the TV show Top Chef Season 18

See also

In Spanish: Navojoa para niños