Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, Calexico had a population of 38,633. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about east of San Diego and west of Yuma, Arizona. Calexico, along with six other incorporated Imperial County cities, forms part of the larger populated area known as the Imperial Valley. First explored by Europeans in the 18th century, Calexico began as a small tent community which was ultimately incorporated in 1908.
Etymology The name of the city is a portmanteau of California and Mexico. The originally proposed names were Santo Tomas or Thomasville. Mexicali is a similarly named city directly across the international border from Calexico, its name also a portmanteau but reversed of the words "Mexico" and "California".
History The expedition of Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza traveled through the area some time between 1775 and 1776, during Spanish rule. The trail through Calexico was designated as a historical route by the State of California.
Founding Calexico began as a tent city of the Imperial Land Company; it was founded in 1899, and incorporated in 1908. The Imperial Land Company converted desert land into a fertile setting for year-round agriculture. The first post office in Calexico opened in 1902.
2010 earthquake
On April 4, 2010, the El Mayor earthquake caused moderate to heavy damage throughout Calexico and across the border in Mexicali. Measuring 7.2 , the quake was centered about south of the U.S.–Mexico border near Mexicali. A state of emergency was declared and officials cordoned off First and Second streets between Paulin and Heber Avenues. Glass and debris littered the streets of downtown Calexico and two buildings partially collapsed. The Calexico water treatment plant sustained severe damage.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, at the 2020 census, the city had a total area of , all land. Calexico is located southeast of Los Angeles, east of San Diego, west of Phoenix, and adjacent to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Calexico's location provides easy overnight trucking access to all those transportation hubs plus the ports of Long Beach, California, and Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Calexico is served by State Routes 98, 7 and 111, with direct connection to Interstate 8 (5 miles north) and State Route 86. There are eighteen regular and irregular common carriers for intrastate and interstate truck service to Calexico.
Rail service is provided by Union Pacific Railroad, and connects with the main line to Portland, Oregon; Rock Island, Illinois; Tucumcari, New Mexico; St. Louis, Missouri; and New Orleans, Louisiana. Within city limits is Calexico International Airport, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint for private passenger and air-cargo flights entering the U.S. from Mexico. Private charter services are also available there. General aviation facilities and scheduled passenger and air-cargo service to San Diego International Airport, Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, and other points are available at Imperial County Airport (Boley Field), located north.
Climate Calexico has a subtropical hot-desert climate (BWh), according to the Köppen climate classification system. In December 1932, the city experienced a rare snowfall. Rainfall usually occurs in the winter months of December, January and February. Although summer is extremely dry in Calexico, there are occasional thunderstorms. In 2008, during the months of July and August there were several heavy thunderstorms that let down large amounts of rain and hail. Summer rainfall in the city is infrequent. During wintertime, Calexico is sometimes affected by winter rain showers. The summer temperatures in Calexico are very hot, with most of those days having temperatures at or above . However, the hot desert climate seen in Calexico is actually not unusual for similar parallel cities such as, for example, Baghdad, Iraq. The area has a large amount of sunshine year-round due to its stable descending air and high pressure.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Calexico had a population of 38,633. The population density was . The median age was 36.2 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18, 10.3% were aged 18 to 24, 23.3% were aged 25 to 44, 24.7% were aged 45 to 64, and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.0 males age 18 and over.
The census reported that 99.7% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. 99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 10,468 households in Calexico, of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.9% were married-couple households, 3.7% were cohabiting-couple households, 11.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.68. There were 8,738 families (83.5% of all households).
There were 10,815 housing units at an average density of . Of all housing units, 96.8% were occupied and 3.2% were vacant. Of occupied units, 50.9% were owner-occupied and 49.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 2.1%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 7,621 19.7% Black or African American 91 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 506 1.3% Asian 437 1.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 19 0.0% Some other race 17,527 45.4% Two or more races 12,432 32.2% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 37,548 97.2%
2023 ACS 5-year estimates In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $50,021, and the per capita income was $20,185. About 17.7% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line. Government The City of Calexico operates under a City Council/City Manager form of government. The City Council consists of five Council Members, elected to overlapping four-year term. The Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem are chosen from among the five council members and rotate on an annual basis. The mayor presides at council meetings, where all official policies and laws of the city are enacted. The members of the Calexico City Council set policy and appoint commissions and committees that study the present and future needs of Calexico. The other two elected officials in the City of Calexico are the City Clerk and City Treasurer. Each of them is elected directly by the voters and serves a 4-year term. The Calexico branch of the Imperial County Superior Court system was officially renamed on Saturday, December 19, 1992, in honor of Legaspi family members Henry, Victor and Luis Legaspi as the Legaspi Municipal Court Complex."Calexico Chronicle" Vol. 90, No. 21, December 24, 1992.
Politics In the state legislature, Calexico is in , and . Federally, Calexico is in . The current mayor is Diana Nuricumbo. The mayor pro tem is Victor Legaspi, and the other council members are Lisa Tylenda, Adriana Marquez, and Lorenzo Calderon.
+ Calexico city vote by party in presidential elections Year Democratic Republican Third Parties202457.32% 6,93839.98% 4,8392.69% 326202071.51% 9,27026.17% 3,3922.31% 300201686.30% 10,2269.78% 1,1593.92% 465201285.73% 7,15013.03% 1,0871.24% 103200882.68% 6,68915.75% 1,2741.57% 127200473.38% 3,47125.16% 1,1901.46% 69200075.25% 3,55721.94% 1,0372.81% 133199684.91% 2,78011.91% 3903.18% 104199262.82% 1,80328.36% 8148.82% 253198871.54% 1,62927.93% 6360.53% 12198460.53% 1,16138.32% 7351.15% 22198064.26% 1,20827.71% 5218.03% 151197666.75% 1,26730.98% 5882.27% 43197257.45% 1,12640.36% 7912.19% 43196856.04% 94739.35% 6654.62% 78196467.35% 1,21532.65% 589
In recent years, Calexico has overwhelmingly supported Democratic Party candidates for president. In eight of the last 10 presidential elections, the Democratic candidate has received over 70% of the vote, though the share has been declining since the 2016 peak of 86%, with Republican support growing from 10 to 40 percent by the 2024 election.
Education
Colleges and universities
Post-secondary education is available at the Imperial Valley Campus of San Diego State University, and at Imperial Valley College ( to the north). In addition, there are more than 20 local agencies and programs providing vocational training which can be tailored to the specific needs of potential employers.
Public schools The Calexico Unified School District serves city residents. Calexico has 7 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools and 2 high schools:
Elementary Grades K–6 Kennedy Gardens Elementary – Home of the Eagles Allen and Helen Mains Elementary – Home of the Trojans Rockwood Elementary – Home of the Rockets Blanche Charles Elementary – Home of the Dolphins Jefferson Elementary – Home of the Tigers Dool Elementary – Home of the Cougars Cesar Chavez Elementary – Home of the Lobos
Junior high schools
Grades 7–8 Willam Moreno Jr. High – Home of the Aztecs Enrique Camarena Junior High School – Home of the Firebirds
High schools Grades 9–12 Calexico High School 9th Campus - Home of the Bulldogs Calexico High School – Home of the Bulldogs (10th-12th) Aurora High School – Home of the Eagles
Public charter school (Independent Study) RAI Online Charter School—raicharter.net (K–12, tuition-free)
Adult education schools Robert F. Morales Adult Education Center Independent Studies Office
Private schools Calexico Mission School, a Seventh-day Adventist Academy operated by the Southeastern California Conference in Riverside, CA provides private religious education in Calexico from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Academy (Home to the Bees), and Vincent Memorial Catholic High School (Home to the Scots), Roman Catholic schools operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, are also in Calexico.
Infrastructure
Transportation Calexico is served by the privately owned Calexico Transit, LA Shuttle and Numero Uno Shuttle and the publicly owned Imperial Valley Transit for local transit. Calexico is also served by Greyhound Lines.
Freight rail service is provided by Union Pacific Railroad's Calexico Subdivision.
Utilities Calexico's public works departments operates water and sewer service for the city.
Community
Calexico generally identifies as part of the larger Imperial Valley region, which includes the El Centro metropolitan area, as do the rest of the cities in the county.
Notable sites Hotel De Anza - Hotel establishment notable for its history and having served celebrities and public figures. Calexico Carnegie Library - Carnegie library built in 1918 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 US Inspection Station – Calexico - Historically used as the original port of entry during the early 20th century – was closed and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Camp Salvation - Refugee camp established in 1849 by Lieut. Cave for emigrants coming from the Southern Emigrant Trail during the California Gold Rush – was registered as a California Historical Landmarks site in 1965. Camp John H. Beacom – A semipermanent camp named after Colonel John H. Beacom (6th infantry) garrisoned in Calexico during World War I for patrolling duties. The site was abandoned in 1920 according to cavalry journals. Camp Calexico was another post used for patrolling duties by Colonel W. G. Schreibe and his infantry in 1914.