| Ecatepec City | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| San Cristobál Ecatepec de Morelos Saint Cristobál Ecatepec of Morelos |
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Mexico | ||
| State | State of Mexico | ||
| Founded | |||
| Municipal Status | 1861 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Municipal President | Eruviel Ávila Villegas (2009-2012) | ||
| Population (2010 Census (provisional)) | |||
| • Municipality | 1,658,806 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC−6) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−5) | ||
| Postal code (of seat) | 55000 | ||
| Demonym | |||
| Website | (Spanish)http://www.ecatepec.gob.mx | ||
Ecatepec City, once officially San Cristóbal Ecatepec de Morelos, is a city in the State of México and the seat of Ecatepec de Morelos Municipality; however, both the city and the municipality are often known simply as "Ecatepec". The name "Ecatepec" is derived from Nahuatl, and means "windy hill". It was also an alternative name or invocation to Quetzalcoatl.[1] "Morelos" is the last name of José María Morelos, a hero of the Mexican War of Independence.
The city is practically co-extensive with the municipality with the city's 2005 population of 1,687,549 being 99.9% of the total municipal population of 1,688,258.[2] The provisional population at the 2010 Census was 1,658,806. The city forms the most populous suburb of Mexico City (Ciudad de México).
"San Cristobál" (Saint Christopher) is the city's patron saint, whose feast day is celebrated on July 25 of each year.[1]
Points of interest include the newest Catholic Cathedral in Mexico, Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, several colonial era churches and the colonel edifice Casa de los virreyes.[1]
Remains of earliest human inhabitation of the area have been found on the nearby Cerro (Hill) de Ecatepec. During the Aztec empire, the Mexicas used the town to control trade routes going north.[1]
Ecatepec was considered an "República de Indios" (Indian Republic) 1560, allowing the village to maintain a certain amount of autonomy and keeping the succession of tlatoani or chiefs. However, in the first part of the 17th century, this was changed to a mayorship, with the Spanish administrating, along with the communities of Zumpango and Xalostoc.[3]
On October 1, 1877, San Cristobál Ecatepec was declared a village and "de Morelos" was added to its name.[3]
The national hero José María Morelos y Pavón was executed in Ecatepec in 1815 by the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence. The house in which he was executed is now the Museo Casa de Morelos (Museum House of Morelos). Ecatepec was declared a city on December 1, 1980.[1]
In April 1995, the remains of a mammoth were found in Colonia Ejidos de San Cristóbal, where the ancient lakes of Xaltocan-Ecatepec and Texcoco came together and where the Aztecs build a dam to keep the fresh and salty waters separate. The bones have been tentatively dated to around 10,500 years B.C.[3]