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Agua Prieta
Agua Prieta is a bustling city of 70,000 located in the
northeastern corner of Sonora, adjoining the southeastern
Arizona town of Douglas. The town’s origins date back to its
proximity to the railroad constructed in the late 1800’s by the
Phelps Dodge corporation to transport copper to the United
States from its mine in Nacozari, Mexico. It was originally
established in 1899, but did not become a municipality with its
current name until 1916.
Although the town has not been around as long as most
Sonoran municipalities (which were typically founded centuries
ago), it has a storied history. Mexican presidents Plutarco
Elias Calles and Lázaro Cárdenas both lived in the town, and it
played a part in the Mexican Revolution – in fact it was once
attacked by the forces of Pancho Villa (who famously rode his
horse up the staircase at the Gadsden Hotel in Douglas).
Today’s Agua Prieta has several maquiladoras, or cross-
border factories, that assemble a variety of products such as
window blinds and auto seatbelts. The factories draw many
workers from all parts of Mexico.
Agua Prieta’s shopping district is within walking distance from
the border, so many tourists choose to park in a nearby lot
and walk across. If you choose to drive across the border
crossing to the shopping district (a couple of blocks south of
the border), to make the return trip to the U.S. you’ll need to
join the line of cars on the street bounded by the border fence,
just to the east of the US border entry. Just take an
eastbound street for a few blocks (you may want to go quite a
few blocks, as the line can be very long during the day and it’s
easier to join at the end of the line than trying to cut in) and
then take a northbound city street until you arrive at the
return street (you’ll know you’re there when you see the
yellow border fence).
Lodging
Lodging in the Aqua Prieta and Douglas area
Agua Prieta is a bustling city of 70,000 located in the
northeastern corner of Sonora, adjoining the southeastern
Arizona town of Douglas. The town’s origins date back to its
proximity to the railroad constructed in the late 1800’s by the
Phelps Dodge corporation to transport copper to the United
States from its mine in Nacozari, Mexico. It was originally
established in 1899, but did not become a municipality with its
current name until 1916.
Although the town has not been around as long as most
Sonoran municipalities (which were typically founded centuries
ago), it has a storied history. Mexican presidents Plutarco
Elias Calles and Lázaro Cárdenas both lived in the town, and it
played a part in the Mexican Revolution – in fact it was once
attacked by the forces of Pancho Villa (who famously rode his
horse up the staircase at the Gadsden Hotel in Douglas).
Today’s Agua Prieta has several maquiladoras, or cross-
border factories, that assemble a variety of products such as
window blinds and auto seatbelts. The factories draw many
workers from all parts of Mexico.
Agua Prieta’s shopping district is within walking distance from
the border, so many tourists choose to park in a nearby lot
and walk across. If you choose to drive across the border
crossing to the shopping district (a couple of blocks south of
the border), to make the return trip to the U.S. you’ll need to
join the line of cars on the street bounded by the border fence,
just to the east of the US border entry. Just take an
eastbound street for a few blocks (you may want to go quite a
few blocks, as the line can be very long during the day and it’s
easier to join at the end of the line than trying to cut in) and
then take a northbound city street until you arrive at the
return street (you’ll know you’re there when you see the
yellow border fence).
Lodging
Lodging in the Aqua Prieta and Douglas area
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