Total & Partial Solar Eclipse Across Mexico in April 2024

Solar eclipses are not rare—there’s at least one somewhere on Earth every 18 months or so. However, the path of a total solar eclipse is narrow, and so can only be viewed from a relatively small area—even smaller if you consider the path of the totality, which is very narrow.

Previous solar eclipses

The last time a solar eclipse path crossed over North America was on August 21^st, 2017. Back then, northern US states experienced the event—but the path came nowhere near Mexico.

The last time Mexico experienced a solar eclipse was on July 11^th 1991, the ribbon of which draped across southern and central areas of the country (including the capital) and touched parts of the Baja California peninsula.

The 2024 solar eclipse across Mexico

The ‘totality’ ribbon of the solar eclipse that will cross Mexico on April 8, 2024 —11,960 days after the last one in 1991— will pass over several states in northern Mexico and create a partial solar eclipse in varying degrees across almost all of Mexico’s land territory.

The eclipse is happening during Mexico’s dry season, so the skies in Mexico’s northern (mostly desert) regions are likely to offer a unique opportunity to view the totality of the eclipse amidst crystal clear skies. Parts of the Mexican states of Coahuila, Durango, Nayarit, and Sinaloa will be under a total or near total ribbon of the solar eclipse in 2024.

Mazatlán, Torreón near the totality line

This zoom-able map on Google shows the totality (red) and near totality (yellow) lines—inside of which you can experience near or absolute darkness around midday.

The ‘totality ribbon’ is about 115 miles (185km) wide. Purists in all matters eclipse assert that nothing less than 100% will do, and if you’re seeking that absolute totality in Mexico this year, note that the central totality line in 2024 doesn’t cross any large Mexican towns or cities precisely—Mexico’s northern deserts are vast, and mostly uninhabited.

However, if you’re in Mazatlán, a short drive south of there to Playa Las Garzas will get you on target, and if you’re in the northern city of Torreón, a drive north on highway 49(D), to near the small town of La Esperanza, will also get you to the magic line.

This map on Time and Date shows helpful shaded areas across all of Mexico that will experience the total and partial eclipse in varying degrees, along with times.