Industry is an important part of the city's economy. 114 companies have plants in the city, employing thousands of workers. Ford Motor Company has a plant there, assembling the Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr and the Mercury Milan.
Hermosillo is a sister city of Phoenix.
The latter half of the 1800s were turbulent years for the city - on October 14, 1852, Gastó Rousset Boulbón led anti-government fighters to victory against the national army, but soon left the city. On May 4, 1886, republican troops under Ángel Martínez took the city from imperial forces under María Tranquilino Almada. Just a few hours later, however, the imperialists retook the city. Later that year, a similar taking and retaking of the city occurred. Even during this time, the city continued developing - on November 4, 1881, a rail line between Hermosillo and the city of Guaymas went into operation, and by the end of the 19th century, the city had a population of 14,000 and thriving commerce and agriculture.
During the Mexican Revolution, Hermosillo was the capital of Mexico for five months, as it was the location of the meeting of Venustiano Carranza's war cabinet. Later, on November 18, 1915, the city was attacked by Francisco Villa, another mexican revolutionary, but he was defeated..