Monterrey is the state Capital of Nuevo Leon. In 2006, the population of the Monterrey metro area exceeded 4 million people. However, local authorities estimate that presently there are almost 4,400,000 inhabitants in the seven municipalities (Guadalupe, San Nicolas de los Garza, Santa Catarina, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Apodaca, Monterrey, and the municipality of Garcia) that conform the metro area.

For more than 100 years, industrial activity has been the most important source of commerce and income for Nuevo Leon. The distance from the industrial center to the US border is 143 miles, principally across the new Solidarity Bridge at Nuevo Laredo.

Monterrey lies in the Santa Catarina Valley, under the jagged peaks of the Cerro de la Silla, "Hills of the Saddle," and the Cerro de la Mitra, "Hills of the Mitra." The Canal Rio Santa Catarina runs through the heart of Monterrey, providing a water supply to much of the city. Monterrey occupies a territory of 3,326.80 km, turning it the second greater conurbated area of Mexico, right after Mexico city.

Monterrey is the most industrialized city in Mexico. In addition to being the third most populous city in Mexico, it has an industrial base comparable to cities in the industrial heartland of the United States. Until recently, maquila development was prohibited in Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City. That prohibition was dropped by the federal government in 1992 and currently there are 175 Maquiladoras employing 52,000 workers in Monterrey. There are a total of 92 Maquiladoras permits issued across the state of Nuevo Leon, employing 692,141 persons. At an average of 200 workers per facility, the size the maquila operations would be comparable to Tijuana or Mexicali, and much smaller than the average size of plants in Juarez or Cd. Chihuahua. The percentage of maquila workers to the total workforce is minuscule.

Monterrey is an interior city and is: 143 miles border at Laredo, Texas; 1,558 miles northwest to Los Angeles, California; and 750 miles to El Paso, Texas.