Empalme travel guides

Empalme is a hundred-year-old town in the Mexican state of Sonora. The town was formally founded in 1905, so it is relatively young.

In Spanish, the word empalme means 'junction'. At first, the community site was called Kilómetro Nueve because it was nine kilometers out of the port city of Guaymas. Then for a while it was called El Empalme meaning of course, the junction. The El was soon dropped.

Unlike other towns or cities in Mexico, Empalme was built completely by foreigners, specifically the Utah Construction Company under contract to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Very few native materials were used in the construction. Because the founders owned a major railroad, transportation of materials and personnel was not a problem. The purpose of the settlement was to serve as the repair facilities for SP operations in Mexico. As such, the focal point of the facility was a large shop and roundhouse. They still exist today, although unused; repair and maintenance are now done in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Hundreds of the homes built originally still exist in Empalme, their design and materials unchanged.

One native feature that the developers used was a tree known as Yucateco that grows to heights exceeding 100 feet. Hundreds of the young trees were bought from southern Mexico. Their common name implies that they are native to the state of Yucatán. These trees were well suited for the hot, humid climate of Empalme. They are still probably the most easily recognized feature of the town. In many places they cover entire streets for several blocks so that streets appear to be passing through a tunnel.

Coordinates: 27°57′42″N, 110°48′45″W