El Salto

El Salto is a town and seat of the municipality of Pueblo Nuevo in the southwestern part of the Mexican state of Durango. It is the largest town on Federal Highway 40 between the city of Durango and Mazatlán, Sinaloa, with a 2005 census population of 21,793 inhabitants. Situated on a pine-forested plateau about 2,580 meters (8,465 feet) above sea level in the Sierra Madre Mountain range, the town is home to a large lumber industry. It also has a military base. The surrounding municipality has an area of 6,178.3 km² (2,385.45 sq mi) and a population of 47,104. Its largest other community is the town of La Ciudad, in the western part of the municipality.