Monterrey, city in northeastern Mexico, capital of Nuevo León State. It is one of the largest cities in Mexico and the nation's chief center of heavy industry. Most of Mexico's iron and steel industry is centered here, and the city also has large copper, lead, zinc, and silver-processing industries. Among its other manufactures are chemicals, glass, construction materials, paper, beer, processed food, and textiles. Landmarks include the Plaza Zaragoza, the main square; the cathedral (begun 1600); and El Obispado, or the Bishop's Palace (1782), where Mexican troops for a time held off United States forces in a bitter battle (1846) of the Mexican War. The city is the seat of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (1933), the University of Monterrey (1969), and the Monterrey Institute of Technological and Advanced Studies (1943).
Monterrey was founded as a Spanish colonial outpost in 1579 and was given the name Monterey (later changed to Monterrey) in 1596 in honor of the count of Monterrey, the Spanish viceroy of Mexico. The city played a minor role in the struggle for Mexican independence from Spain in the early 19th century, and it later was occupied (1846) by the U.S. general Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War. The city's main industrial development began in the 1880s, and in the 20th century it benefited from several hydroelectric projects. Population (1995) 1,088,143.
