León, city, central Mexico, in Guanajuato State, in a fertile river valley, at an altitude of about 1830 m (about 6000 ft). León is the industrial, commercial, and transportation center for a rich agricultural region and is a shoe-manufacturing center. Other industries include flour milling and the manufacture of textiles. Founded in 1576, León was a Spanish colonial administrative center. Population (1995) 1,042,132.
