The word "New" was dropped after the Mexican War that saw Texas become a part of the United States.

When a University of Missouri student, who was questioned on radio, was unable to give an account of her hometown's name, the question was put to L. Mitchell White, then editor and publisher of the Mexico Ledger: "'The first settlers found a wooden sign along the trail.

The city is in the bluegrass region of Missouri, and was a shipping point for horses and mules.

Bricks produced in Mexico were used in the construction of the NASA rocket launch site in Cape Canaveral.

[8] The industry fell on hard times and both major refractory plants in the area closed in 2002.

There is no active quarrying for clay used in fire brick or refractories production in the area.

"[10] The historic downtown square, with the typical courthouse as the focal point, is surrounded by dozens of multi-story brick buildings—some dating to the founding of the community.

In the late 1970s, Mexico began ripping up crumbling sidewalks of the downtown square and installing red paver bricks accented with turn-of-the-century lamp posts and park benches.

It lost to Spring Hill, Tennessee because Mexico was not served by a four-lane freeway.

The Simmons Stables, currently being revitalized, are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[14] The 2020 United States census[18] counted 11,469 people, 4,538 households, and 2,880 families in Mexico.

The remainder of the college houses the Mexico Public Schools administrative offices on South Jefferson Street.

The Mexico Area Vocational-Technical School, the Advanced Technology Center and the Missouri Military Academy are also located in the city.

[21] Mexico, as with the rest of Audrain County, is part of the Columbia/Jefferson City television market.

Mexico radios can pick up stations from Columbia, Jefferson City, Moberly, and Hannibal.