Tecate Is in Mexico, Not California

Tecate is a city in the Mexican state of Baja California—not the U.S. state of California. It sits directly on the international border, adjacent to Tecate, California (an unincorporated San Diego County community).

The two Tecates form a cross-border urban area. The Mexican city (population ~100,000) is famous for its eponymous brewery (Cerveza Tecate), while the U.S. side is primarily a border crossing and rural residential zone.

Confusion arises because both the Mexican state and the U.S. state share the name "California"—a legacy of the region's shared history before the 1848 border division.

Travelers: Tecate, Mexico has a pedestrian and vehicle port of entry. Bring proper documents.