Sonoita
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sonoyta is a town in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. It stands on the U.S.-Mexico border, facing Lukeville, Arizona, in the United States.
Sonoyta is well known as an immigrant cross-point to the United States. It is not uncommon to see immigrants sitting on Sonoyta's sidewalks hitch hiking, hoping that American citizens will allow them into a car going to the US. Most other would-be immigrants in the area, however, use the town to make final preparations for a treacherous trek through the Sonoran desert. On this long desert march, illegal immigrants often face death, especially during the summer season.
Conversely, the town is used as a crossover point for American tourists headed to Puerto Peñasco or other cities in Northern Mexico. Puerto Peñasco, a popular beach city, is located about 60 miles (100 km) south on Highway 8 -- an excellent all-weather highway -- while Phoenix, Arizona, is located three hours and 100 miles to the north.
Sonoyta features many urbanizations as well as a downtown filled with many small stores and markets. There are also services of major companies, such as Pemex and Banamex, available. The town has no airport, but major airports are located in the nearby cities of Mexicali, Hermosillo, Yuma and Tucson, all of which are accessed by car in five hours or less. An international airport in Puerto Peñasco is scheduled to open in 2008.
The border between Sonoyta and Lukeville, Arizona, closes at midnight MST every day and re-opens at 06:00 MST the following day.
