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Mérida Fest celebrates 483 years of urban evolution

Mérida celebrates its 483 years with Mérida Fest 2025 with nearly 200 events — most of which are free.

Municipal president Cecilia Patrón Laviada announced the festival’s wide range of cultural and artistic activities, which will run from Jan. 5 to 26.

As part of the festivities, Chilean singer Mon Laferte—whose heartfelt performances and unique fusion of styles have earned her critical acclaim and Latin Grammy recognition—will offer a free concert on Sunday starting at 8 p.m. in Mérida’s Plaza Grande.

Mérida was founded on Jan. 6, 1542, by Don Francisco de Montejo “El Mozo,” who named it after the Roman ruins of Mérida in Extremadura, Spain, as the city’s pre-Hispanic buildings reminded him of that historic site. The city center was designated for the Plaza Mayor, and stones from indigenous temples were repurposed to build important public and religious structures, such as the Royal Houses, the Cabildo, and the Cathedral of San Ildefonso.

Today, the capital of Yucatán state is Mexico’s 12th largest metropolitan area, with its population surpassing 1.3 million as of 2024. The city proper covers approximately 858.41 square kilometers (331.43 square miles), with over 400 colonias (neighborhoods) and fraccionamientos (residential developments). The modern city, with its extensive road network including the Circuito Colonias and Periférico ring roads, stands as the cultural and economic heart of Mexico’s southeast.

The last hundred years alone demonstrates the city’s transformation from a relative backwater to the thriving cosmopolitan destination it is today.

In 1920, Mérida was much smaller and divided into twelve quarters, with the four major ones forming what we now know as the city center, a legacy of colonial times.

Beyond Santa Lucía and Santa Ana in the north, Mejorada and San Cristóbal in the east, San Sebastián and La Ermita in the south, and Santiago in the west, everything else was considered suburbs, areas that now form the city’s second tier.

The famous Paseo de Montejo, which would later become the city’s grand boulevard, ended at what is now the Monumento a la Patria. The northern limit of the city reached only to Itzimná, while the western boundary was marked by Avenida de la Paz, where today’s Peace Park, Juárez Penitentiary, O’horán Hospital, and Centennial Park stand. To the south, the Dolores Otero and Vicente Solís colonies marked the edge of urban development, while Chuminópolis defined the eastern limit.

By 1941, the city had grown to house 114,931 residents—equivalent to today’s combined population of Progreso and Tekax. New neighborhoods had emerged: Francisco I. Madero and Sambulá in the west; Melitón Salazar, Delio Moreno, and Santa Rosa in the south. The east saw the development of Esperanza, Miraflores, and Mayapán, which bordered the Walis hacienda. In the north, Jesús Carranza and Felipe Carrillo pushed the city’s boundaries toward Hacienda Petcanché.

The period also marked significant infrastructure development. The Alonso Garibaldi airport, named after a local pilot, operated where the Fénix development and IMSS T-1 clinic now stand. Paseo de Montejo, then called Avenida Nachi Cocom, began its northward extension. The Mérida Yucatán Water Company undertook the crucial task of installing the city’s first water supply network, though this led to disputes with the Cervecería Yucateca and United Railways of Yucatán, who had developed their own wells.

By the early 1950s, Mérida’s population had swelled to 159,410—surpassing today’s Kanasín, the state’s second most populous municipality. The city witnessed the emergence of planned communities, with the Miguel Alemán colony, inaugurated in May 1950, representing a milestone in modern urban development. This neighborhood was marketed as featuring “all hygienic advances, including drainage and drinking water services.”

The cityscape continued to evolve with new landmarks. The Monumento a la Patria (then called the Flag Monument) and the Justo Sierra monument enhanced the Paseo de Montejo’s grandeur. The eastern sector saw the establishment of the Cervecería Yucateca where Plaza Patio now stands, while the Sarmiento and Chichén Itzá colonies developed along the highway leading to the famous archaeological site.

Behind the Florido Cemetery, a designated nightlife district emerged, marking what was then considered Mérida’s entertainment zone. At the southern end of Calle 66, the Transportes Aéreos Mexicanos (Tamsa) grounds bordered the Mexicana de Aviación airport, further testament to the city’s growing connectivity and importance in the region.

Modern times

Modern Mérida has undergone explosive growth, particularly since the 2000s. The city has expanded dramatically in all directions, with new residential developments pushing the urban boundaries far beyond the traditional Centro Histórico. The northern zone, particularly along the Prolongación Paseo de Montejo and towards the Gulf Coast, has become a premium residential and commercial corridor, hosting luxury developments, shopping centers, and international businesses.

This rapid urbanization has brought both opportunities and challenges. The city’s real estate boom has attracted significant investment, particularly from Mexico City residents seeking a safer, more relaxed lifestyle. This influx has contributed to the emergence of numerous gated communities and master-planned developments, especially in the north and northwest sectors. However, this growth has also led to concerns about gentrification, particularly in traditional neighborhoods and the historic center.

The city’s urban sprawl has necessitated major infrastructure improvements, including the modernization of the Periférico and the development of new arterial roads. The Metropolitan Zone of Mérida now encompasses neighboring municipalities like Kanasín, Umán, and Conkal, creating new challenges for urban planning and public services. The city has responded with initiatives to improve public transportation, including plans for sustainable mobility and the potential development of a mass transit system.

Environmental considerations have become increasingly important as the city expands. The traditional henequén haciendas that once surrounded Mérida have largely given way to urban development, though some have been preserved and repurposed as hotels, restaurants, and cultural centers. The city has also had to address challenges related to water management and the protection of its cenotes (natural sinkholes), which are crucial to the region’s geology and cultural heritage.

Today’s Mérida stands as a study in contrasts: colonial architecture alongside modern developments, traditional markets next to contemporary shopping centers, and historic neighborhoods adjacent to newly planned communities. The city has managed to maintain its reputation as one of Mexico’s safest major cities while experiencing remarkable growth, earning it recognition from various international publications as one of the best places to live in Mexico. However, as it continues to expand, Mérida faces the ongoing challenge of balancing development with preservation, modernization with tradition, and growth with sustainability.

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