Mérida (T'hó' or Ichkanzihóo (the original name), in Modern Maya) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about 35 km (22 miles) from the Gulf of Mexico coast, at 20°58′1.56″N 89°37′25.68″W20.9671°N 89.6238°WCoordinates: 20°58′1.56″N 89°37′25.68″W20.9671°N 89.6238°W.

The city is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name which surrounds it. In the census of 2005 the population of the city was 734,153, ranking 12th among the most populous Mexican metropolitan areas. The population of the municipality was 781,146. The municipality's area is 858.41 km² (331.43 sq mi).

The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Mérida, Umán and Kanasín and had a population of 886,188 in the same 2005 census. It is the largest of the 3 cities of the world that share the name -the other two being in Spain and Venezuela.