# Queretaro?



## Hollypop1986 (Jul 27, 2013)

Okay, don't jump on me about this, but... is Queretaro a city or a state? Or both? We will probably be going initially to Puebla, PUE, but I don't see myself there long term. I can't stand the cold, and it's only warm there for a few weeks out of the year. I live in Texas, and love Texas weather, Lol. The cold makes my bones hurt. So I think the most important thing to me is climate. I was considering Queretaro, Colima, and Cuernavaca. I made those selections based off other posts I read here. Queretaro seems to call me the most, but when I went to see if I could find houses for rent online, it looks like it is a state, which means my "narrowed" selection is actually not narrowed at all. :-/ Are all the cities in Queretaro similar? Any suggestions/insight on towns there?


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Queretero is one of Mexico's 32 states, and the capital of the state is the city of Queretaro. It's not uncommon in Mexico to have a city and state share the same name. Some other examples: Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes; San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi; Zacatecas, Zacatecas; Guanajuato, Guanajuato; etc.

Regarding weather conditions, if you haven't already seen it ... have a look at the website this link will take you to: Average High/Low Temperatures for Queretaro You can compare the Queretaro weather with the statistics for Puebla, Puebla: Average High/Low Temperatures for Puebla

The city of Puebla has a population substantially larger than the city of Queretaro. In recent years the federal government forced many of the factories and industrial parks out of the D.F. and many of those relocated to Queretaro and nearby. There are expats from a half-dozen or more countries grouped in Queretaro, mostly for employment purposes.

Regarding searching for housing online: that's really not how many people do it in Mexico. There are some local publications in which people list their property for rent/sale, but I think the way rentals/purchases are found is by word-of-mouth, by driving/walking the colonias you're interested living in. The online listings will probably almost always be the most expensive and the selection isn't likely to be representative of what's available. These have been my experiences.

I've been traveling throughout Mexico for 44 years now. For the past two decades I've been visiting parts of the country and considering whether or not I'd move there when I retire - which will probably be in a couple of years from now. I lived in Mexico City previously so I know that area. And I know San Miguel de Allende, Acapulco and maybe a half-dozen other destinations pretty well. I know I could be happy living in so many places in Mexico. But I continue to hunt and peck for my roost when I retire. 

An expat in Mexico once told me I procastinated too much, and that I should just pick a place I've lliked and move there ... and make it work. Many people do that. But not me. When these other people learn, if they learn, their choice wasn't best for them they've just moved-on to someplace else to see if it worked better for them.

We can search forever and not find what we think we're looking for. What works for one of us won't work for another in the group.

Best of luck with the search for the place you think will be right for you.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Perhaps you had better consider the advantages of Queretaro City (Santaigo de Queretaro) over Puebla City a bit more. Both cities are high altitude urban zones; Queretaro at an average altitude of about 1800 meters and Puebla at an average altitude of about 2200 meters. Both are rather coolish places and both are places where it is relativley expensive to live in terms of housing. As we live part of eah year at 2000 meters in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, I can also assure you that, while altitude is an important factor in determining the climate in any particular place in Highland Mexico, other climatic factors apply as well so do your research well before making a decision based on climatic expectations. Queretaro is a prosperous business center and somewhat expensive. The urban zone is hilly and spread out and I do not think of the city as pedestrian friendly. Puebla City is much flatter but a vast urban area which, I think, tends to isolate the resident into the barrio occupied normally speaking. 

If you are or were unsure as to whether or not "Queretaro" was a state or a city, you may need to study upon this proposed move a bit more before making any decision as to whether you wish to live there. We live at Lake Chapala and in the Chiapas Highlands - very different areas, and wouldn´t consider Queretaro City or Puebla City as places to reside although we. at one time, considered both cities for residency but to each his own. 


If I read you correctly and discern that you are fond of the climate and topography of Texas, that may be the place for you as opposed to the tropical highlands of Mexico.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Querétaro is the name of the state, Santiago de Querétaro is the name of the city, we always call it Querétaro around here (for short)
Depending on what you need, I may recommend Querétaro or San Juan del Río


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> Querétaro is the name of the state, Santiago de Querétaro is the name of the city, we always call it Querétaro around here (for short)
> Depending on what you need, I may recommend Querétaro or San Juan del Río


For the sake of anyone thinking of moving to either city, could you post a brief description of the differences between them?


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> For the sake of anyone thinking of moving to either city, could you post a brief description of the differences between them?


By all means:
Santiago de Querétaro (Querétaro, for short) Is the capital city of the state of Querétaro, about 650,000 people, bigger city, much more populated, many more things going on, lots of offices, schools, shopping centers, the newest one is Antea, the largest one in latinamerica, etc. Very very nice place to live, same as medium to large size cities, you will have traffic issues mostly. 

San Juan del Río is the 2nd largest city in the state of QUERÉTARO, about 250,000 inhabitants, it is about 50 km away from Querétaro, going south and about 150 km from Mexico City.
Nice smaller city, with hospitals, schools, shopping centers,(liverpool, same, soriana, comercial mexicana, etc) stores, history, WATER, quieter place but close enough to places like Queretaro or Mexico City. You may have the best of both worlds. Close to Tequisquiapan, and lots of places to go on weekends.

Today I will have Tochtitlan23 visiting San Juan, perhaps later on he could tell you guys about his impressions of the city.


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