Celaya is a city and its surrounding municipality in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, located in the southeast quadrant of the state. It is the third most populous city in the state, with a 2005 census population of 310,413. The municipality for which the city serves as municipal seat, had a population of 415,869. The city is located in the geographic center of the municipality, which has an areal extent of 553.18 km² (213.58 sq mi) and includes many smaller outlying communities, the largest of which are San Miguel Octopan, Rincón de Tamayo and San Juan de la Vega.
There are many smaller towns around Celaya including Rincón de Tamayo, Tarimoro, Salvatierra, La Moncada, Panales Jamaica (Cañones), Panales Galera, La Calera, La Estancia, La Noria, La Acebuche, Cacalote, and Charco Largo.
General Álvaro Obregón defeated Pancho Villa at Celaya in 1915 known as Battle of Celaya. Celaya was also the capital of the state of Guanajuato for a short period.
An explosion in a gunpowder and fireworks warehouse in September, 1999, killed over 60 people and injured over 300 people.
Celaya is also famous for the artesanal production of cajeta, a type of milk candy
The Celaya Airport has as of January 22, 2007 commercial flights to Santiago de Querétaro and there connections to other destinations. Celaya lies along the Pan-American Highway which is known locally as Mexican Federal Highway 45.
Read more about Celaya: History, Climate, Ball of Water, People Born in Celaya, Universities and Schools in Celaya, Sister Cities