Mexicali is not only the capital of the state of Baja California, but a major manufacturing, agricultural and distribution hub.  Mexicali has connections to everywhere, thanks in part that it is located at the junction of two Mexican Federal Highways, 2 and 5.  As in the U.S., Highway 2 runs east and west, paralleling the frontier by only a few miles, and if you're planning to take a trip south to San Felipe and beyond, Highway 5 in the road to take.

In December 2005, I spent a bit of time in San Felipe and decided to head home via Highway 5 and visit Mexicali on the way home, as I hadn't visited the city since 1970.

Left:  Looking south on Federal Highway 5, at the Mega store, on the south side of Mexicali.  Right:  The traffic circle is marked by a Benito Juarez monument, where Calzada Juarez joins Calzada Sierra.

City limit signs are nonexistent in Mexico, but it is not hard to ascertain that you're entering Mexicali, as you're heading into the city on Highway 5.  As you near the outskirts of town, another lane is added, making it a four-lane road, and you really know you're in Mexicali when you pass a brand new Mega store on you're right.  In case you're not familiar with a Mega store, it's a Mexican version of a full-service WalMart that carries everything, including a complete line of groceries at very reasonable prices.  Along with the increase in lanes is a sharp increase in traffic, which includes busses, trucks, cars, agricultural vehicles and bicycles.  You're starting to enter the big city!

Photos:  This is the intersection of Calzada Justo Sierra and Blvd. De Los Americas.  If you turn right on Blvd. Americas, it will take you to Mexicali's airport.  You're only about a mile south of the border.

After passing the Mega store, you'll see quite a few industrial parks and many more under construction.  These are the homes to many "maquilas," or assembly plants, a direct result of N.A.F.T. A. that has made Mexicali's economy explode.  

As long as you're tooling around Mexicali, you might as well enjoy some good tunes on the radio.  I'm a big fan of traditional country music, as my "country clock" sort of stopped around 1980 or so, as I think country music has gone off the deep end; but that's another story.  So when I travel to Mexico, I like to listen to traditional Mexican music, you know, the romantic ballads with lots of horns, strings and singing that makes you want to cry in your cerveza.  When you're in Mexicali and you want to hear some great, traditional Mexican music, tune your AM radio to XEBI 1080, or XEHA 1370.  If you're a traditionalist in Mexican music, or any music, like I am, you'll like these two fine radio stations.

Look for Blvd Lazaro Cardenas, that's Mexico Highway 2.  As you head north toward the international border, you'll notice that Highway 5, or as it's known within the city limits as Calzada Benito Juarez (sound familiar?,) becomes very commercial, and features just about every type of business that a city of 800,000 would have. There are lots of restaurants, and if you're in the mood for Chinese food, there seem to be hundreds of them to choose from along Calzada Juarez.  The highway and the commercial establishments have a very much norteamericano look and feel, and you'd almost think you were heading north on Blackstone Avenue, in Fresno, if everything wasn't in Spanish.  The streets are very well marked, and all are signed.  As I've said before, Mexicali is an easy city to find your way around in.

Left:  Note there is a Pemex gas station on each side of the street!  Right:  the large monument, I suppose to the highway, or progress, located about 15 miles west of Mexicali on Federal highway 2.  The sign reads "Autopista La Rumorosa."  I'm not really sure of the purpose of this, but whatever it is, it sure stands tall!  

Just when you really start to think you're cruising Blackstone Ave., you come back to reality when you see the large traffic circle, featuring a monument to Benito Juarez, a quizessential feature in every Mexican city.  I recommend before approaching this intersection that you know the route that you want to go, as this area is very congested with traffic and you don't have time to "waffle" or change your mind.  If your heading to the border, you can go either way, but it will be easier if you head to the right, as once around the traffic circle, you've now left the highway and you're now on Calzada Justo Sierra.  If you chose the left route, that's ok, as you'll be on Av. Curtodores which heads east, then you can turn right on any lettered street which will lead north to the border.

Left:  The "Welcome to Mexicali" sign, on the outskirts of town.  Right:  While waiting for the light to change, a vendor peddles his wares at the intersection of Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas and Calzada Tolergrano.

I chose Justo Sierra, as it heads due north, and terminates at Blvd. Internacional, a.k.a. Av. Christobal Colon, which runs just a few feet south of the ugly steel fence that the U.S. government erected to help stifle illegal immigration.  To head to the U.S., simply make a left on Av. Colon and in a few miles, you'll find yourself at U.S. customs.

Left:  Heading into town on Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas.  Right:  I got lost (what else is new?) and found myself heading west on an un-marked street, but was still able to find my way to Calzada Juarez, and eventually, the border.

Entering Mexicali from the west on Highway 2 is at first easy, but then it gets a little tricky to find way around, as the highway is not as well-marked.  My guess is the reason this route is not as well-signed is it is traveled by few tourists, as most tourists seem to try to get through Mexicali as quickly as possible on their way south to San Felipe via Highway 5.  Around 15 miles to the west of Mexicali, built on the left side of the highway, is a large, stylized monument, inscribed with the words "Autopista La Rumorosa;" the purpose of it I can't figure out.  As you get closer to Mexicali, the highway increases from 2 to 4 lanes, and you're greeted with a large sign that reads "Bienvenidos a Mexicali 1903 2003" so I presume that this sign was erected in 2003 to celebrate the city's centennial.  As you enter town, the highway becomes Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas, you'll go over a small rise and cross the heavily-polluted Rio Nuevo, and in not quite a mile, you'll come to a major intersection and the railroad tracks.  The major north-south street is Calzada Lopez Mateos, and it runs sort of perpendicular, as it runs almost northwest to southwest.  If you want to cross the border, you can turn left here and follow it northwest, but you'll run into a lot more traffic, as it leads through the heart of downtown.  

Photos:  Not exactly the best vehicles, nor the best neighborhood.  These photos were taken just off Blvd. Cardenas, on an unmarked street, not far from Calzada Francisco Montejano.

Continue straight on Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas another half-mile, and you'll come to Calzada Benito Juarez, which will lead in a northwesterly direction to the traffic circle with the Benito Juarez monument.  If you're heading east on Mexico Federal Highway 2, continue driving east on Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas.  Anyway, if you're heading to the border, turn left on Juarez, stay to the right at the traffic circle, and head north on Calzada Justo Sierra to the border at Ave. Crosobal Colon.  Then it's a left-hand turn and a four-mile drive to U.S. customs.

Mexicali is quite easy to navigate, especially after you've memorized a few major north-south, east-west boulevards.  Watch out for traffic, drive defensively, have a navigator, and keep your eyes open for a safe, stress-free ride around Mexicali, known as "the city that captured the sun."