Culiacán, also Culiacán Rosales, city, western Mexico, capital of Sinaloa State, on the Culiacán River, the Gulf of California. A rail junction and road hub on the Pacific Highway, the western branch of the Pan-American Highway, the city is a commercial center for nearby gold, silver, iron, lead, copper, and cobalt mines. Corn, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, fruit, and vegetables are grown in the surrounding area. In the city are plants producing leather, textiles, and lumber products. Culiacán is noted for the Rosales Gardens, containing luxurious tropical plants. A university is here, and hot springs are nearby. Culiacán was held by the Colhua people for 300 years. The modern city was founded in 1531 by the Spanish captain Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán and named San Miguel de Culiacán. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado set out from Culiacán to explore what is now the southwestern United States. Population (1995) 696,262.
