Tijuana is the center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, which incorporates the entirety of Baja California.
Tijuana ( [ tiːˈwɑːnə ] ; [ tiˈxwana ] ) is the largest city in Baja California and on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area , part of the international San Diego -- Tijuana metropolitan area . As the city has become a leading center in the country , so has the surrounding metropolitan area , a major industrial and paramount metropolis in northwestern Mexico . Tijuana is located on the Gold Coast of Baja California , and is the municipal seat and cultural and commercial center of Tijuana Municipality .