Quick facts
Morelia overview
Morelia (orange) and the other large cities of Mexico
Morelia lies in Michoacán in Mexico at 19.7°N, 101.18°W, about 1,917 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Mexico_City (UTC-6); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Culiacán (808,416) and larger than Torreón (735,340). The largest city in Mexico is Mexico City with 12,294,193 people; the capital, Mexico City, has 12,294,193.
The national capital, Mexico City, is about 218 km away; the nearest large city is Salamanca, 97 km from Morelia.
Mexico as a whole has a live population of 133,308,124 (+0.8% a year) and ranks #11 of 238 countries — see the Mexico population page for the full statistics and the Mexico atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Morelia
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Salamanca Guanajuato | 97 km | 160,682 |
| Uruapan Michoacán | 97 km | 299,523 |
| Celaya Guanajuato | 99 km | 340,387 |
| Irapuato Guanajuato | 109 km | 380,941 |
| Zamora de Hidalgo Michoacán | 119 km | 186,102 |
| Santiago de Querétaro Querétaro | 129 km | 1,594,212 |
| Apatzingán Michoacán | 141 km | 102,362 |
| San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato | 143 km | 174,615 |
Largest cities in Mexico
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico CityCapital | Mexico City | 12,294,193 |
| 2 | Tijuana | Baja California | 1,922,523 |
| 3 | Puebla | Puebla | 1,692,181 |
| 4 | Ecatepec de Morelos | México | 1,645,352 |
| 5 | Santiago de Querétaro | Querétaro | 1,594,212 |
| 6 | León de los Aldama | Guanajuato | 1,579,803 |
| 7 | Ciudad Juárez | Chihuahua | 1,512,450 |
| 8 | Zapopan | Jalisco | 1,476,491 |
| 9 | Guadalajara | Jalisco | 1,385,629 |
| 10 | Mérida | Yucatán | 1,201,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Morelia?
Morelia has about 743,275 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Morelia the capital of Mexico?
No. The capital of Mexico is Mexico City (12,294,193 people), about 218 km away. Morelia is the 19th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Morelia compared with the rest of Mexico?
Its 743,275 residents are 0.6% of the 133,308,124 people living in Mexico today. Mexico City is larger with 12,294,193 people.
Where is Morelia?
In Michoacán, Mexico, at latitude 19.7 and longitude -101.18, 1,917 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Salamanca (97 km), Uruapan (97 km), Celaya (99 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Morelia Population 2026 — Mexico. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/mexico/morelia/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/mexico/morelia/">Morelia Population 2026 — Mexico</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.