Durango [key], city, capital of Durango state, N central Mexico, along the highway linking Mexico City with El Paso, Tex. Minerals are the chief product, but the city is also an agricultural, commercial, and tourist center. Founded as a mining town in 1563, Durango served as capital of the region of Nueva Viscaya. In the 19th cent. the city suffered frequent scorpion plagues. Nearby is the Cerro del Mercado (640 ft/195 m high), a hill of solid iron ore. Durango's cathedral is a massive example of early 18th-century architecture.
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