Rayón, Sonora

Rayón is a small town surrounded by its municipal area in the center of the Mexican state of Sonora at a distance of 110 kilometers from the state capital Hermosillo The municipal area is 1,106.54 km² with a population of 1,591 registered in 2000. The population of the municipal seat was 1,273 in 2000. It is located at an elevation of 618 meters. Neighboring municipalities are: There are highway connections with Ures (41 kilometers), Carbó (48 kilometers), and Opodepe (26 kilometers). Rayón was founded in 1638, by the Jesuit missionary Pedro Pantoja, who gave it the name of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Nacameri; the area had been inhabited by the Pima Bajos. In 1825 the name was changed to Rayón to honor General Ignacio López Rayón....