1. Chihuahua City is located at the geographic center of the state of Chihuahua, which shares borders with Texas and New Mexico to the north, Durango and Coahuila to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Sonora to the west. Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico representing 12.56% of the country’s territory and covering a total area of 95,400 Sq. miles; an area comparable to Arizona in the US or to France in Europe. The city is located relatively close to the U.S. border, only 234 miles south of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez. The 4-lane Panamericana highway links the city to the U.S. border with an average driving time of 3.5 hours.

1. Chihuahua sits at 4,806 ft and the weather is hot and dry during the summer, and pleasant and cool during the winter. Summer temperatures range from the mid 80’s to over 100°F and winter average low/highs in the 40’s and 60s respectively. Annual precipitation averages 14.4 inches.

1. * Excellent infrastructure & transportation system:
2. - 36 Industrial Parks and 7 Land Reserves.
   - 2 International airports at Chihuahua and Juárez
   - Seaports: access to the Topolobampo Port
3. - Railways: largest rail infrastructure, multimodal with more than 1,600 miles
4. - Highways: a network of more than 3,000 miles.
5. - Customs: access to the North America Market through 5 ports of entry (10 border crossings)
   - Communication Services: Fiber optics, Internet, Cellphone coverage, Telegraph, Telephone.

1. * Well developed industrial real estate market.

1. * Chihuahua is experiencing sustained industrial development.
   * Access to over 930 million consumers.
   * Free Trade Agreements with 48 countries.
   * NAFTA's corridor with solid infrastructure and time zone.
   * ISO 9000 Production standards and culture
   * World-class skilled, productive and stable workforce.
   * Competitive operational costs.
   * Presence of the international plants: U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, South America and Mexico.
   * World-class engineering education and R&D infrastructure.

1. Chihuahua enjoys an unparalleled geographical location that provides direct access to the North American Market, one of the largest in the world.

1. Hours of flight to major cities:
2. Chihuahua – Dallas 1 :45 hrs.
3. Chihuahua – Houston 1 :45 hrs.
4. Chihuahua – Los Angeles 2 :30 hrs.
5. Chihuahua – México 2:00 hrs.
6. Chihuahua – Monterrey 1:00 hr.
7. Chihuahua – Guadalajara 1:30 hrs.

1. Chihuahua’s overall accessibility and adequate transportation system makes it an attractive location for manufacturing plants who want to serve the U.S. markets. The city benefits from an exceptional highway that leads to the northern border crossing in Ciudad Juarez, 234 miles from the city. Another direct highway to the Santa Teresa port of entry offers an excellent infrastructure for all international trading, making it easier to get to the U.S. and avoiding Juarez’s traffic.
2. Chihuahua has an excellent road network; the new 12-lane freeway Periferico de la Juventud, allows for speedy distribution around the city. In addition, the city counts with 26 inter-city and 6 intra-cities bus lines. The Chihuahua international airport offers daily non-stop flights to Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey while a daily rail service connects to Juarez/El Paso.
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4. The Support

5. SUPPORT SERVICE COMPANIES
6. Chihuahua’s smaller size and interior location also means fewer services and support capabilities than those found in border cities like Cd. Juarez and Tijuana. That is one of the tradeoffs companies make in search for a more stable labor force. Diminished access to services and a further distance to the US can significantly increase costs for highly specialized operations.

LOCATION

Chihuahua City is located at the geographic center of the state of Chihuahua, which shares borders with Texas and New Mexico to the north, Durango and Coahuila to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Sonora to the west. Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico representing 12.56% of the country’s territory and covering a total area of 95,400 Sq. miles; an area comparable to Arizona in the US or to France in Europe. The city is located relatively close to the U.S. border, only 234 miles south of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez. The 4-lane Panamericana highway links the city to the U.S. border with an average driving time of 3.5 hours.

Chihuahua sits at 4,806 ft and the weather is hot and dry during the summer, and pleasant and cool during the winter. Summer temperatures range from the mid 80’s to over 100°F and winter average low/highs in the 40’s and 60s respectively. Annual precipitation averages 14.4 inches.

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Chihuahua is experiencing sustained industrial development. Several new manufacturing firms have recently moved into the city and overall industrial activity is increasing as new tenants are exploring Chihuahua as a possible manufacturing location. The city serves as an alternative destination for maquiladora operators who require quick access to the border crossing at El Paso/Juarez but who wish to avoid both the higher costs and higher turnover rates of the border area.

The rapid growth of the maquiladora industry has contributed to the general well being of the population. It is important to note that, from all interior (non-border) locations in Mexico, Chihuahua has the largest maquiladora presence. In total, there are 79 maquila plants employing 43,374 people. Several existing companies are in the process of expanding current locations to accommodate additional production lines.

The entire state of Chihuahua is a thriving economic center; there are more than 350 established manufacturing and assembly plants in the state with annual purchases of $2.5 billion USD in materials and components. Chihuahua's annual Gross State Product is $6.2 billion, or 2.9% of Mexico's total GNP.

Agricultural activities are still important in the state, as Chihuahua is the leading producer of apples and nuts and second in pine and oak trees nationwide. The state is also the nation's leader in raising cattle and sheep. The area also has a strong mining presence and is the leading producer of non-ferrous minerals and zinc. Silver mining is also an important industry for the state.