| Mascota, Jalisco | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality and town |
| Pushpin Map: | Mexico |
| Pushpin Label Position: | above |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Mexico |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Mexico |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Jalisco |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Dra. Sarah Castillon Ochoa |
| Unit Pref: | Km |
| Area Total Km2: | 1843 |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Town |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 3.36 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 census |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 14451 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Town |
| Population Blank1: | 9272 |
| Population Density Blank1 Km2: | auto |
| Coordinates: | 20.5235°N -104.7886°W |
| Elevation M: | 1,268 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal Code |
| Postal Code: | 46900 |
| Area Code: | 388 |
| Website: | http://www.mascota.jalisco.gob.mx/index.html |
Mascota is a town and municipality in Jalisco, in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 1,843 km2. The name Mascota comes from the root "Amaxacotlán", which means "place of deer and colubrids".[2]
The municipality has smaller villages such as Tecuani and La Plata, both a couple miles away. Mascota is surrounded by roads and pine-covered mountains and is a usual stop on the road to Talpa De Allende or Puerto Vallarta.
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 14,045.[3]
In prehispanic times, Mascota was the head of a cacicazgo, which ruled over the populations of Talpa, El Tuito and Chacala. In 1525, the Spanish explorer Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura arrived to Mascota, who was commanded by Hernán Cortés to conquer the provinces north of Colima, which was subsequently renamed to "Valle de Banderas".[4] 10 years after, in 1535, a rebellion of indigenous people was held in Mascota, along with other villages nearby.
After the time of the Mexican Independence, in 1824, the Department of Mascota was created and the town of Mascota was declared Villa de Mascota. On 10 April 1885, Villa de Mascota received the title of city.
In 2015, the city of Mascota was declared a "Pueblo Mágico".