Nogales is located in Southern Arizona, just 64 miles south of Tucson along the rapidly growing NAFTA business corridor and International border with Mexico. It is in Santa Cruz County. It has a "twin" sister city of Nogales in Sonora, Mexico. We went to Nogales, USA & Nogales, Sonora, Mexico on July 29, 2001.

The town of Nogales, Mexico is a very popular attraction. Nogales, Mexico is just across the border from Nogales, Arizona. These two cities share the same name yet they have different cultures. You will find your trip over to Mexico to be full of tradition, shopping and great food. There are many terrific restaurants to choose from, along with a selection of shops selling cheap knickknacks to high quality handicrafts. Most of the shops and markets cater to the tourists. If you like to go bargain shopping, you need to visit Ortega Street. This street is one of the main streets in Nogales, Mexico. Here you will find pottery, glassware, furniture, baskets, rugs, leather, jewelry and much more. Prices at the shops are not fixed. As a matter of fact, bargaining and negotiating a price is welcome. Although Spanish is the official language, business is done in English. The town sits at an elevation of 3,865 feet.

The climate in Nogales is delightful all year round. The lows in the winter are near 63 degrees and the highs in the summer are around 92 degrees. There is low humidity and mostly sunny days.

Nogales (USA) is an historical International commercial and warehousing center that is now seeing very rapid growth. Importers of fresh fruit and vegetables bound for United States markets have established office, warehouse, and dock facilities in Nogales to expedite what now amounts to 30% of the United States fresh produce supply. It is a very popular port of entry for U.S. travelers. More than a billion dollars of produce pass through Nogales up into the United States and Canada. Nogales is an important retail and wholesale trading point.

Today Nogales is the county seat for Santa Cruz County. It has strong commercial, religious and cultural ties with its sister city Nogales, Mexico. Nogales is one of the major gateways between the U.S. and Mexico. The future looks bright for Nogales; with the North American Free Trade Agreement in place growth should continue.

Before leaving

Street in Mexico

Nogales Mexico

Having lunch

Buying souvenir

Having lunch