Cancun, Mexico

Naperville's Third Sister City

The City of Cancun, Mexico, officially became Naperville’s third Sister City following a unanimous vote at the City Council meeting on April 21, 2020.

Cancun was chosen as a Sister City partially because of the similarities to Naperville. Both cities offer visitors shopping and entertainment opportunities, both are college towns and both Naperville and Cancun have a strong and growing economy. In addition to similarities, Cancun was chosen because the city already has an active Sister Cities Commission and the cities have worked together in the past, with Naperville donating a Fire Department ladder truck and an ambulance to Cancun. These existing connections will make it easier to fulfill the Sister Cities’ mission to encourage cultural exchange between the two communities and establish lasting educational and economic ties.

Interesting facts about Cancun, Mexico

• As of 2020, Cancun has an estimated population of 888,179, over six times the population of Naperville.
• Cancun was created in April 1970 as tourism project.
• Cancun has over 14 miles of white sand beaches made from crushed coral. This sand will never burn your feet.
• The Maya Barrier Reef, one of Cancun’s major tourist attractions, is the second largest Barrier Reef in the world and spans over 600 miles.
• While Cancun is a relatively young city, there are 1,000-year-old Mayan ruins located in the Cancun Hotel Zone at the El Rey Archaeological Zone.