Comitán
title: "Comitán" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-chiapas", "pueblos-mágicos", "populated-places-established-in-1528", "1915-establishments-in-mexico", "chiapas-highlands"] topic_path: "geography/mexico" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comitán" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Comitán |
| settlement_type | Municipality and city |
| total_type | Municipality |
| native_name | |
| image_skyline | ComitanTemploDeSanJose.jpg |
| image_caption | The Temple of San José, in the historic center of Comitán de Dominguez. |
| image_seal | ESCUDO_COMITAN.jpg |
| seal_size | 100px |
| image_map | Comitan de Dominguez en Chiapas.svg |
| mapsize | 250px |
| dot_x | |
| pushpin_map | Mexico |
| pushpin_label_position | above |
| pushpin_mapsize | 300 |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Mexico |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Mexico |
| subdivision_type1 | State |
| subdivision_name1 | Chiapas |
| leader_title1 | |
| established_title | |
| established_title2 | |
| established_title3 | |
| unit_pref | Imperial |
| area_total_km2 | 797.8 |
| area_land_km2 | |
| area_blank1_title | City |
| area_blank1_km2 | 33.63 |
| population_as_of | 2020 census |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 166,178 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_blank1_title | City |
| population_blank1 | 113479 |
| population_blank2_title | Religions |
| population_density_blank1_km2 | auto |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| postal_code_type | |
| :: |
|name = Comitán
|settlement_type = Municipality and city
|total_type = Municipality
|other_name =
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|image_skyline = ComitanTemploDeSanJose.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = The Temple of San José, in the historic center of Comitán de Dominguez.
|image_flag =
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|image_seal = ESCUDO_COMITAN.jpg
|seal_size = 100px
|image_shield =
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|image_map = Comitan de Dominguez en Chiapas.svg
|mapsize = 250px
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|pushpin_map = Mexico
|pushpin_label_position =above
|pushpin_mapsize =300
|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Mexico
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Mexico
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Chiapas
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|area_magnitude =
|unit_pref =Imperial
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_km2 = 797.8
|area_land_km2 =
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|area_blank1_title = City
|area_blank1_km2 = 33.63
|area_blank1_sq_mi =
|population_as_of = 2020 census
|population_footnotes =
|population_note =
|population_total = 166,178
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =
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|population_blank1_title = City
|population_blank1 = 113479
|population_blank2_title = Religions
|population_blank2 =
|population_density_blank1_km2 = auto
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
|timezone =
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::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Comitan_oriente_poniente.jpg" caption="Comitán"]
::
Comitán (; formally: Comitán de Domínguez, for Belisario Domínguez) is the fourth-largest city in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is the seat of government of the municipality of the same name.
It is located in the east-central part of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala at . The municipality has an area of 797.8 km2. Its largest other community is the town of Villahermosa Yalumá.
Comitán is also a popular tourist destination, mostly for Mexican nationals, though some foreign visitors can also be seen. The town possesses colonial architecture, narrow avenues, and clean streets. The climate is cool most of the year, and can get quite chilly from October to March.
History
The old town was founded in a swamp by a group of Tzeltal people. The original name given by the local population was Balún Canán (which means "Nine stars"). As part of the Spanish colonization, the town of Comitan was founded in February 1528 and elevated to the city in 1556 by Dominican friars, belonging to the captaincy of Guatemala. It was later changed to Comitán de las Flores and, in 1915, to Comitán de Domínguez, after Dr. Belisario Domínguez, who gave a memorable speech in Congress against the dictator Victoriano Huerta for which he was murdered.
Geography
Climate
Comitán had a marginal subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) a little below a tropical savanna climate. Afternoons are very warm with fairly high humidity almost throughout the year, whilst mornings are cool in the dry season and mild during the rainy season. The dry season gradually warms up between March and May, before the rainy season begins during May and continues with higher humidity until October, following which the coolest and most pleasant weather of the year prevails. |location = Comitán (1991–2020) |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 33.5 |Feb record high C = 33.5 |Mar record high C = 35.5 |Apr record high C = 37.5 |May record high C = 36.0 |Jun record high C = 34.0 |Jul record high C = 36.0 |Aug record high C = 32.0 |Sep record high C = 32.5 |Oct record high C = 33.0 |Nov record high C = 33.5 |Dec record high C = 33.0 |year record high C = 37.5 |Jan high C = 24.7 |Feb high C = 26.4 |Mar high C = 28.2 |Apr high C = 29.5 |May high C = 28.4 |Jun high C = 26.5 |Jul high C = 26.1 |Aug high C = 26.9 |Sep high C = 26.5 |Oct high C = 25.5 |Nov high C = 24.8 |Dec high C = 24.7 |year high C = 26.5 |Jan mean C = 17.7 |Feb mean C = 18.9 |Mar mean C = 20.4 |Apr mean C = 21.8 |May mean C = 21.7 |Jun mean C = 20.9 |Jul mean C = 20.5 |Aug mean C = 21.0 |Sep mean C = 20.8 |Oct mean C = 19.8 |Nov mean C = 18.6 |Dec mean C = 18.0 |year mean C = 20.0 |Jan low C = 10.8 |Feb low C = 11.4 |Mar low C = 12.6 |Apr low C = 14.1 |May low C = 15.1 |Jun low C = 15.4 |Jul low C = 15.0 |Aug low C = 15.0 |Sep low C = 15.1 |Oct low C = 14.0 |Nov low C = 12.4 |Dec low C = 11.2 |year low C = 13.5 |Jan record low C = 0.5 |Feb record low C = 2.0 |Mar record low C = 3.5 |Apr record low C = 5.0 |May record low C = 2.0 |Jun record low C = 5.5 |Jul record low C = 7.0 |Aug record low C = 6.0 |Sep record low C = 9.0 |Oct record low C = 3.0 |Nov record low C = 2.0 |Dec record low C = 1.5 |year record low C = 0.5 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 6.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 9.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 22.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 41.6 |May precipitation mm = 146.5 |Jun precipitation mm = 222.7 |Jul precipitation mm = 100.0 |Aug precipitation mm = 146.5 |Sep precipitation mm = 214.4 |Oct precipitation mm = 126.6 |Nov precipitation mm = 27.3 |Dec precipitation mm = 12.2 |Jan humidity = 69 |Feb humidity = 66 |Mar humidity = 62 |Apr humidity = 62 |May humidity = 67 |Jun humidity = 74 |Jul humidity = 75 |Aug humidity = 74 |Sep humidity = 76 |Oct humidity = 76 |Nov humidity = 74 |Dec humidity = 72 |year humidity = 71 |unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm |Jan precipitation days = 6.1 |Feb precipitation days = 5.3 |Mar precipitation days = 5.2 |Apr precipitation days = 8.4 |May precipitation days = 16.9 |Jun precipitation days = 21.5 |Jul precipitation days = 18.3 |Aug precipitation days = 19.1 |Sep precipitation days = 22.5 |Oct precipitation days = 19.1 |Nov precipitation days = 9.8 |Dec precipitation days = 7.7 |Jan sun = 248 |Feb sun = 218 |Mar sun = 268 |Apr sun = 255 |May sun = 226 |Jun sun = 193 |Jul sun = 230 |Aug sun = 230 |Sep sun = 182 |Oct sun = 212 |Nov sun = 228 |Dec sun = 232 |year sun = 2722 |source 1 = Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (humidity, 1981–2000){{cite web | url = https://smn.conagua.gob.mx/tools/RESOURCES/Normales_Climatologicas/Normales9120/chis/nor9120_07205.txt | title = Estado de Chiapas-Estacion: COMITAN (DGE) | work = Normales Climatologicas 1991–2020 | publisher = Servicio Meteorológico Nacional | language = es | access-date = 15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217160457/https://smn.conagua.gob.mx/tools/RESOURCES/Normales_Climatologicas/Normales9120/chis/nor9120_07025.txt |archive-date=December 17, 2024 | url = http://smn.cna.gob.mx/climatologia/Normales5110/NORMAL07205.TXT | title = Estado de Chiapas–Estacion: Comitan (DGE) | work = NORMALES CLIMATOLÓGICAS 1951-2010 | publisher = Servicio Meteorológico Nacional | language = es | access-date = February 13, 2016 | archive-date = May 2, 2016 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20160502105236/http://smn.cna.gob.mx/climatologia/Normales5110/NORMAL07205.TXT | url-status = dead | url = http://smn.cna.gob.mx/climatologia/Max-Extr/00007/00007205.TXT | title = Extreme Temperatures and Precipitation for Comitan Grandes (DGE) 1961-2010 | publisher = Servicio Meteorológico Nacional | language = es | access-date = February 13, 2016 | url = http://smn.cna.gob.mx/observatorios/historica/comitan.pdf | title = NORMALES CLIMATOLÓGICAS 1981-2000 | publisher = Servicio Meteorológico Nacional | language = es | access-date = February 13, 2016 | archive-date = February 13, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160213221036/http://smn.cna.gob.mx/observatorios/historica/comitan.pdf | url-status = dead |source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990){{cite web | url = ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/observations_global/CLIMAT/multi_annual/sunshine_duration/1961_1990.txt | title = Station 76848 Comitan, Chis. | work = Global station data 1961-1990—Sunshine Duration | publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171017195327/ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/observations_global/CLIMAT/multi_annual/sunshine_duration/1961_1990.txt | archive-date = 2017-10-17 | url-status = dead | access-date = February 13, 2016
Demographics
As of 2010, the municipality had a total population of 141,013, up from 121,263 as of 2005.
As of 2010, the city of Comitán had a population of 97,537, up from 83,571 as of 2005. Other than the city of Comitán, the municipality had 340 localities, the largest of which (with 2010 populations in parentheses) were: Villahermosa Yalumá (2,368), San José Yocnajab (1,809), La Floresta (1,743), Los Riegos (1,740), Francisco Sarabia (1,673), Cash (1,429), Señor del Pozo (1,353), Zaragoza la Montaña (1,263), Efraín A. Gutiérrez (1,153), and Chacaljocom (1,056), classified as rural.
Tourism
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Junchavin_Theater.jpg" caption="Junchavin Theater"] ::
Tourists in Comitán can see many touristic sights, including Mayan ruins, the Lagunas de Montebello, El Chiflon which is a series of waterfalls (this costs a few pesos to enter), Tenam Puente which is an archeological Mayan Cultural place, and others. Comitán is approximately 2 hours away from San Cristobal by bus and approximately 3 hours away from Tuxtla. It is common for locals to travel 2 hours on the bus to see San Cristobal and then travel an additional hour in order to reach Tuxtla.
Notes
References
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
- Chiapas Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
References
- [http://www.citypopulation.de/en/mexico/admin/chiapas/comitan/07019/ Citypopulation.de]
- [http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/chiapas/municipios/07019a.htm Comitán de Domínguez] {{Webarchive. link. (2007-09-30 ''Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México'')
- "Comitán de Domínguez". [[Secretaría de Desarrollo Social]] (SEDESOL).
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