shoestring gringa

The conventions regarding street addresses in Mexico are somewhat different than those in gringolandia, and not terribly consistent from one place to another, but here are some general pointers that may be helpful.

The street name is given first, the number second:

Calle 25, No. 150 (25th Street, Number 150)

There is often, especially in big cities, a helpful addition of nearby cross streets given:

Calle 25, No. 150 ÷ 66 y 68 (read as “entre [between] 66 and 68th Aves.),

or Calle 25, No. 150 x 76 (por [near, by, or at] 76th Ave.)

or Calle 25, No. 150, Esq. 76 (esquina [at the corner of] 76th)

Most towns consist of named neighborhoods called colonias, which are included in the address.

Calle 25, No. 150 x 76, Colonia Centro

Or newer areas of housing developments may be designated as Fraccionamiento (abbreviated Fracc.) rather than Colonia.

And finally, there’s the city, state, and zip.

Merida, Yucatan C.P. 97000

Mexico

I saw somewhere that it’s a good idea to write “C.P.” before the codigo postal on mailing addresses in Mexico to distinguish them from US zip codes which are identical in some cases. Probably not a bad idea.

Many buildings, especially in smaller communities, have never been anointed with a number. These may be designated as either

Calle 150 S/N (Calle 150 sin numero [without number])

or

Domicilio Conocido (known residence)

This may seem excessively vague and annoying by gringo standards, but Mexicans move about far less than their northern neighbors, making a rigid system of addresses a low priority item to say the least.

If you’re searching for a specific address, locating the street and then the number is unlikely to work too well anyway, as street signs and building numbers are conspicuously lacking. It’s usually necessary to ask for directions, often repeatedly until you zero in on the location. As with most things in Mexico, personal interaction is required, and landmarks such as “the Corona beer store” or “the telephone tower” are usually more useful than street names and numbers.