Sonoita
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Sonoita is a town in the northern state of Sonora, Mexico. It stands on the border, facing Lukeville, Arizona, in the United States.
Sonoita is well known as an immigrant cross-point to the United States. It is not an uncommon sight to see immigrants sitting on Sonoita's sidewalks hitch hiking, trying for American citizens to allow them into a car going to the US. Many other immigrants who go to Sonoita to use the town as a crossover point; however, choose a more dangerous way by walking through the Sonora desert, where they face death, especially during the summer season.
Conversely, the town is used as a crossover point by many American tourists, who usually are travelling to Puerto Peņasco or other cities in Northern Mexico. Puerto Peņasco is located one hour to the south from Sonoita by car, while Phoenix, Arizona, is located three hours and 100 miles to the north.
Sonoita features many urbanizations as well as a downtown filled with many small stores and markets. There are also services of major companies, such as Pemex and Banamex, available. The town has no airport, as it is a small town and major airports are located in the nearby cities of Mexicali, Hermosillo and Tucson, all of which are accessed by car in five hours or less.
A major tragedy happened in the town at 03:30 MST on July 1, 1996, when two buses, including one with tourists, collided, killing twenty three people, among which there were many children.
The border between Sonoita and Lukeville, Arizona, closes at midnight MST every day and re-opens at 06:00 MST the following day.
The renowned Track and Field athlete Ana Guevara is a native of Sonoita.