Four Southwestern States Bordering Mexico: West to East
From the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico, four U.S. states share an international border with Mexico:
West to East Order
- California — 227 km (141 mi) border
- Arizona — 592 km (368 mi) border
- New Mexico — 292 km (181 mi) border
- Texas — 2,019 km (1,254 mi) border (longest)
Border Geography
| State | Border Feature | Major Crossings | Mexican States |
|---|
| California | Imperial Valley, Otay Mesa | San Ysidro (busiest land port in West), Otay Mesa, Calexico | Baja California |
| Arizona | Sonoran Desert, Colorado River | Nogales, Douglas, Lukeville, San Luis, Sasabe | Sonora |
| New Mexico | Chihuahuan Desert, Rio Grande | Santa Teresa, Columbus, Antelope Wells | Chihuahua |
| Texas | Rio Grande (entire border) | El Paso, Laredo, Hidalgo, Brownsville, Eagle Pass | Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas |
Key Border Features
- Total length: 3,145 km (1,954 mi)
- Rio Grande/Río Bravo: Forms 2,019 km (Texas) + 292 km (NM) = 73% of border
- Land border: 1,126 km (CA, AZ, part of NM)
- Border Patrol sectors: San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, Big Bend, Del Rio, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley
Economic Integration
- Trade: $863B (2023) US-Mexico goods trade
- Cross-border commuters: ~100,000 daily (work, school, shopping)
- Maquiladoras: Mexican factories linked to US supply chains
- Shared resources: Water (Colorado, Rio Grande), aquifers, air quality
Historical Note
Borders established by: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) and Gadsden Purchase (1854)—following Mexican-American War.
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