Netzahualcóyotl, municipality in central Mexico, the third largest in the country (after Mexico City and Guadalajara). Netzahualcóyotl is located outside the Distrito Federal (Federal District) but within the Mexico City metropolitan area and Mexico State; it covers an area of 62 sq km (24 sq mi). The city is named after Netzahualcóyotl, an Aztec leader and poet who lived and ruled in the region during the 1400s. Netzahualcóyotl is connected by highway to Mexico City, which is adjacent to the west. Settlement began in the early 1900s, on land that was opened by the draining of nearby Lake Texcoco. Many low-income residents of Mexico City migrated here, especially after 1946. The land was cheap but no provisions for public services were made. In 1963 the area received municipal status. During the 1960s and 1970s, Netzahualcóyotl experienced extraordinary population growth, and today it suffers from serious deficiencies in housing, communications, and basic services. The city's population growth, a result of the continuing demand for cheap housing for urban workers, far exceeded the services provided even after Netzahualcóyotl became a municipality. Most of Netzahualcóyotl's residents are blue-collar workers for industries in Mexico State and the Distrito Federal, which contain Mexico's largest concentration of manufacturing plants. In 1995 Netzahualcóyotl had a population of 1,233,868, with a population density of 20,260 persons per sq km (52,240 per sq mi).Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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