Municipalities of Sinaloa



Sinaloa is a state in northwest Mexico that is divided into 18 municipalities. According to the 2020 Mexican Census, it is the seventeenth most populated state with inhabitants and the eighteenth largest by land area spanning 57365.4 km2.

Municipalities in Sinaloa have some administrative autonomy from the state according to the 115th article of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico. Every three years, citizens elect a municipal president (presidente municipal) by a plurality voting system who heads a concurrently elected municipal council (ayuntamiento) responsible for providing all the public services for their constituents. The municipal council consists of a variable number of trustees and councillors (regidores y síndicos). Municipalities are responsible for public services (such as water and sewerage), street lighting, public safety, traffic, and the maintenance of public parks, gardens and cemeteries. They may also assist the state and federal governments in education, emergency fire and medical services, environmental protection and maintenance of monuments and historical landmarks. Since 1984, they have had the power to collect property taxes and user fees, although more funds are obtained from the state and federal governments than from their own income.

The largest municipality by population as of the 2020 Mexican census is Culiacán, with 1,003,530 residents (33.15% of the state's total), while the smallest is Cosalá with 17,012 residents. The largest municipality by land area is Sinaloa, with an area of 6325.8 km2, and the smallest is Salvador Alvarado with 773.6 km2. The newest municipality is Navolato, established in 1982.