Santiago de Querétaro is the capital and largest city of the state of Querétaro, located in central Mexico.  It has a population of around 850,000.  In 1996 its historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Following the battle of Sangremal, the city of Querétaro was founded on 25 July, 1531.  The city has been at the centre of many historical events through the centuries, in fact, events that have happened here have forged the course of national history.  Querétaro has survived wars, epidemics, and conquests; she was witnessed the loss of the territories of the north; she has seen the triumph of the Republic; two constitutions have been signed here.

 

Querétaro has repeatedly been recognized as the metro area with the best quality of life and as the safest city in Mexico and also as the most dynamic in Latin America.

Querétaro has seen an outstanding industrial and economic development since the mid 1990s. Querétaro metropolitan area has the 2nd highest GDP per capita among Mexico's metropolitan areas with 20,000 USD after Monterrey. The city is the fastest-growing in the country, basing its economy to IT and data centers, logistics services, aircraft manufacturing and maintenance, call centers and manufacturing center for automotive and machinery industry, chemicals and food products.