Where are people doing business when they invest in Mexico? And what is informing the corporate decision-making to locate projects in this country that received a record-breaking $40.8 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, despite weathering weak overall GDP growth last year and shifting sands in global trade interests, including an upcoming joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) this summer?
Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, lawyer, public servant and cross-border specialist Antonio Garza says, “What really sets Mexico apart is the sheer maturity of its industrial ecosystem. It isn’t just about being next door to the United States. It is about the deep integration of Mexico’s supply chains and a workforce that has become incredibly sophisticated. The real challenge now for site selection is finding the right spots where the energy grid and water infrastructure can actually keep up with new demand.”
He adds that Mexico is “seeing a surge in digital infrastructure, discussions around data centers and specialized fields like medical devices and aerospace. The growth in fintech and logistics is also remarkable because it reflects a domestic economy that is digitizing rapidly. These sectors are performing at a high level, but their longer-term ceiling really depends on the country making the right moves in defining a competitiveness agenda, particularly regarding reliable power, water and legal certainty.”
More insight may be found herein, where we present the first ranking of its kind for the country of Mexico in Site Selection’s history. This includes the top Mexican states (in ranked order) and top 10 regional/metropolitan areas (in alphabetical order, with state listed) for business activity in Mexico, based on Conway Projects Database qualified corporate end-user facility projects and project-affiliated job creation and capital investment data between March 1, 2024, and March 1, 2026.
MEXICO’S TOP STATES 2026
1. QUERÉTARO
Secretariat of Sustainable Development of the Municipality of Querétaro
Alejandro Sterling Sánchez,
Querétaro Secretary of Economic Development
municipiodequeretaro.gob.mx/secretarias/secretaria-de-desarrollo-economico
RECENT PROJECTS:
Abbott Laboratories, CloudHQ, Odata Brasil, Siemens
Querétaro leads the state rankings with a swath of tech, manufacturing and data center projects coming to the region. Located three hours north of Mexico City, the rapidly growing state is considered a strong bet not only for community safety, but also corporate assets thanks to its prime location for nearshoring, a logistics-rich hub, strong government-corporate partnerships and a good quality of life. Over 2 million people call Querétaro home, having witnessed the data center boom in recent years marking the state as the top destination for investment in Mexico according to our database. Last year, San Francisco-based CloudHQ announced an eye-watering $4.8 billion deal to build six new data centers in the state. Another feather in Querétaro’s hat is its status as an aerospace cluster, home to the Querétaro Aerospace Park and the El Universidad Aeronáutica en Querétaro (UNAQ).
2. NUEVO LEÓN (TIE)
Cabinet of Sustainable Wealth Generation of Nuevo León
Betsabé Rocha Nieto,
Nuevo León Secretary of Economy
RECENT PROJECTS:
Siemens, AI-GDC/Cipre Holding, LEGO, Envases Universales, FRISA
In the northeastern state of Nuevo León, which shares about 10 miles of border with Texas, a highly skilled workforce and storied history in manufacturing and industrial infrastructure are two major draws for investment for this silver medalist. Another prime nearshoring state, Nuevo León benefits from a recent buildout of its mobility sector, including the 54-mile Interserrana Highway that will connect to existing interstate systems in central Mexico. Nuevo León is a known hub for OEMs, particularly in car components and vehicle assembly, with an automotive club that includes Kia, DH Autoware, Hyundai Mobis and Tesla. In the second quarter of 2025, the state received $3.03 billion in FDI, second only to Mexico City. The state’s growing reputation as a tech hub is also boosted by several well-regarded higher education institutions, particularly in Monterrey.
2. COAHUILA (TIE)
Ministry of Economy of the State of Coahuila
Luis Eduardo Olivares Martínez, Coahuila Secretary of Economy
coahuila.gob.mx/dependencias/index/SEC
RECENT PROJECTS:
Bühler, Doosung Tech, Daimay, Motherson SAS Automotive Systems, Industria Sigrama
Coahuila, formerly Coahuila de Zaragoza, makes the state ranking as the second No. 2 — with the help of its juggernaut exports sector, particularly in transportation, steel and automotive manufacturing. The state is home to over 30 industrial parks and five international airports. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, Coahuila leads automotive manufacturing in northern Mexico, with 14% of the region’s market share in that sector, followed by Nuevo León and Chihuahua. Shanghai Daimay Automotive recently opened its first site in Parras de la Fuente, an investment worth $46.3 million (MXN $800 million) that will be the first of a trio of facilities from the company in Coahuila and will create 2,500 jobs when fully operational. U.S.-based manufacturer Electrical Components International also announced a US$33 million facility in Torreón late last year.
MEXICO’S TOP METROS 2026
A. AGUASCALIENTES,
AGUASCALIENTES
Aguascalientes Ministry of Economic, Scientific and Technology Development (SEDECYT)
Esaú Garza de Vega,
Secretary of Aguascalientes SEDECYT
www.aguascalientes.gob.mx/SEDECYT/
RECENT PROJECTS:
Kotobukiya Trèves de México, Yokohama Industries Americas, Judd Wire
The capital and most populous city of the eponymous state of Aguascalientes, this metropolitan is a hotbed for foreign investment thanks to its strategic central location, strong existing infrastructure and business-friendly climate. Automotive captures a good portion of the manufacturing and exports market, anchored by Nissan and Mercedes-Benz. The Aguascalientes metro is served by a brigade of industrial parks that populate the state (over 20). Coca-Cola, Flextronics and Texas Instruments all have facilities in the metro of Aguascalientes.
B. APASEO EL GRANDE,
GUANAJUATO
Apaseo el Grande Department of Sustainable Economic Development
Jorge Oliveros Jair Nara,
Director of the Apaseo el Grande Department of Sustainable Economic Development
apaseoelgrande.gob.mx/desarrollo-economico-sustentable-2/
RECENT PROJECTS:
EGO Componentes Electrónicos, Anhui Zhongding Sealing Parts, Ruima Precision
North of Mexico City and west of Querétaro sits the city of Apaseo el Grande, a strong player in industrial development. Automotive manufacturing is robust in Apaseo el Grande — the city is home to one of only two facilities that exclusively produce the Toyota Tacoma for the North American market (the other located in Baja). In 2024, Apaseo el Grande had $4.2 billion in international sales.
C. CHIHUAHUA,
CHIHUAHUA
Chihuahua City Invest / Department of Innovation and Economic Development of Chihuahua
Ulises Alejandro Fernández Gamboa,
Secretary of the Department of Innovation and Economic Development of Chihuahua
chihuahuacityinvest.com/en/,
www.chihuahua.com.mx/
RECENT PROJECTS:
Aircom Group, AIM Solder, Emerson Electric
The city of Chihuahua is no small dog in this ranking. Often considered one of the most competitive cities in Mexico, Chihuahua City’s industrial footprint is highly lucrative, flush with maquiladoras fed by its top-performing sectors of aerospace, automotive, medical device manufacturing and electronics. The city is considered one of Mexico’s major aerospace corridors, producing turbines and parts for the industry and home to about a quarter of the country’s aerospace facilities. The overall state also has a staggering exports presence — over US$75 billion in 2024.
D. IRAPUATO,
GUANAJUATO
Irapuato Department of Economy
Humberto Hernández Salgado,
Director of Economic Development of Irapuato
RECENT PROJECTS:
Markdom, NHK Spring Mexico, SK Tech
Irapuato, east of Guadalajara and southwest of San Luis Potosí, is a key trading and industrial hub in central Mexico, with strong logistics thanks to its close proximity to Guanajuato International Airport, highway systems that connect to León, Querétaro and Guadalajara and railroads that can move products to the Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas ports on the Pacific Coast. The city is also strong in agribusiness, given its long history in agriculture and recent investments in its agtech ecosystem.
E. LEÓN,
GUANAJUATO
Investment Attraction for the Municipality of León
Luz Ángel Minguela,
Director of Investment Attraction of León
RECENT PROJECTS:
ATECS, Taigene Group
Located in central Mexico, León has a long history of making leather goods for global markets, producing 70% of all shoes made in Mexico. It’s also a stalwart industrial hub, with a ribbon of companies specializing in chemicals and plastics. Notably, Michelin’s $900 million tire plant in León has received high marks for its environmental sustainability practices, creating over 2,000 jobs and producing more than 15 million tires since starting operations in 2019.
F. MEXICO CITY METRO AREA
Mexico City Department of Economic Development (SEDECO CDMX)
Manola Zabalza Aldama,
Secretary of Economic Development of Mexico City
www.sedeco.cdmx.gob.mx
RECENT PROJECTS:
Checkpoint Systems, Netflix, Echo Global Logistics
Mexico City has plenty of people — between 21 and 25 million, making it the largest metro in North America and one of the largest globally by population. This sprawling urban economy is still a vital logistics artery and provides a competitive and ever-growing workforce for its traditional manufacturing pillars of automotive, steel, textiles and plastics. Mexico City is also an emerging tech hub, attracting remote workers in droves.
G. MONTERREY METRO AREA, NUEVO LEÓN
Invest Monterrey / Monterrey Department of Economic Development
Hector Tijerina, Invest Monterrey Executive Director / Ximena Tamariz, Secretary of Economic Development of Monterrey
www.investmonterrey.com/,
www.monterrey.gob.mx/sedec
RECENT PROJECTS:
ABB, Grupo Financiero Banorte
Harboring one of the most developed industrial infrastructures in Mexico, Monterrey is only 120 miles from the U.S. border, positioning itself as a powerful nearshoring economic hub. The metro collected about $2 billion in FDI in 2024. The classic sectors of automotive, metals and steel and domestic appliances comprise this economy, which is served by a highly skilled workforce and strong university ecosystem.
H. QUERÉTARO METRO AREA,
QUERÉTARO
Secretariat of Sustainable Development of the Municipality of Querétaro
Diana Angélica Olvera Cruz,
Director of Economic Development of Querétaro
municipiodequeretaro.gob.mx/secretarias/secretaria-de-desarrollo-economico/
RECENT PROJECTS:
Bombardier Aerospace Mexico, LS Cable & System, Plasticos Durex
The Querétaro metro made its debut at No. 19 in Site Selection’s 2026 North American Tech Hub Index, lifted by the runaway data center, IT and tech infrastructure buildout in the area that also boosted the municipality’s home state to the top of Mexico’s Top States ranking. The city’s bustling logistics corridor and aerospace cluster also gets high marks, adding to the local advanced manufacturing footprint.
I. SALTILLO, COAHUILA
Saltillo Department of Economic Development
Enrique Garza Naranjo,
Saltillo Economic Development Director
saltillo.gob.mx/dependencias/fomento-economico-y-turismo/
RECENT PROJECTS:
AH MANF, Motherson SAS, Ningbo Xusheng Group
Saltillo earns its nickname as the “Detroit of Mexico” with its position as one of the country’s largest exporters of cars and car parts. Located in the southern part of the state of Coahuila, which borders Texas, Saltillo remains a popular nearshoring destination for foreign investors. This state capital, dubbed one of the safest capital cities in Mexico last year (INEGI), boasts a low industrial vacancy and a young skilled workforce.
J. SAN LUIS POTOSÍ,
SAN LUIS POTOSÍ
San Luis Potosí Department of Economic Development
Jesús Salvador González Martínez,
Secretary of Economic Development of San Luis Potosí
saltillo.gob.mx/dependencias/fomento-economico-y-turismo/
RECENT PROJECTS:
Daikin, L’Oréal Mexico, Paragon Films
Another manufacturing and industiral giant, the city of San Luis Potosí has collected major names in its portfolio the past couple years — including a third Daikin plant in late 2025 at its Daikin San Luis Potosí Campus. The metro also added a new industrial park, World Trade Center Industrial Park 3, in early 2026 that will cater toward logistics-centered businesses and operations.
