Tlaquepaque

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Tlaquepaque

Coat of Arms
Location
Location in the State of Jalisco
Administration
Country	Mexico
State	Jalisco
Region	Región Centro
Metropolitan Area	Guadalajara Metropolitan Area
Municipality • Administrative Divisions • Neighborhoods	Tlaquepaque 4 139
Mayor	Miguel Castro Reynoso
Political party	PAN
Geography
City Area	270.9 km²
Metro Area	500 km²
Elevation	1660 Mts
Coordinates :	20°37′N 103°14′W
Population
City Population (2005)	542,051 city; 563,006 municipality
Metro Population (2005)	4,095,853 (Rank 2)
City Density	2,306/km²
Metro Density	8,200/km²
General Information
Time Zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal Code	45500 - 45638
Area Code	+52 (Mexico) / +33 (Jalisco)
Website - H. Ayuntamiento de Tlaquepaque

San Pedro Tlaquepaque, or simply Tlaquepaque, is a city and its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco. During the 20th century it was absorbed by the outward spread of the state capital and is now a neighbourhood of the Guadalajara conurbation, lying only a few kilometres from the city centre. The city had a 2005 census population of 542,051, while the municipality had a population of 563,006. The municipality's area is 270.88 km² (104.59 sq mi) and lies adjacent to the south side of Guadalajara. Its largest community besides Tlaquepaque is the town of Santa Anita, at the municipality's southwestern corner.

The name Tlaquepaque derives from Nahuatl and means "place above clay land". The area is famous for its pottery and blown glass.

Tlaquepaque features a large plaza known as El Parián, flanked by columned arcades and surrounded by restaurants and bars. The main square in the city centre is known as El Jardín ("The Garden"), the main features of which are the two important churches of El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude) and San Pedro (Saint Peter) and the Benito Juárez market.

During the annual San Pedro festivities, El Jardín fills up with stalls and street-sellers. On the day of San Pedro itself, towering firework-festooned structures known as the Castillo ("castle") and Toro ("bull") and are set alight. The sound of pyrotechnics can be heard from a great distance away.

Tlaquepaque is also known for its mariachi bands.