Editing Transport in Guatemala

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Transportation in [[Guatemala]] includes roads, waterways, airports and a short cross-border rail line from Mexico.

The [[Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing]] oversees the planning, maintenance and development of infrastructure and transport systems.<ref>{{Cite web |title=civ.gob.gt - Objetivos |url=https://www.civ.gob.gt/web/guest/institucional/objetivos |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.civ.gob.gt}}</ref> The General Directorate of Roads is responsible for the planning, design and supervision of construction works and maintenance of the country's roads.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caminos |first=Dirección General de |title=Dirección General de Caminos |url=https://caminos.gob.gt/quienes-somos.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Dirección General de Caminos |language=es-ES}}</ref>

== Roads ==
Guatemala has an extensive road network, where 12.72% of the roads connect with Mexico and Central America, 17.27% are National Roads, 43.84% are Departmental and 26.17% are Rural. All the country's roads have [[Guatemala City]] as their point of origin. Among the busiest international routes in the country are the [[Pan-American Highway|Pan-American highway]] that connects Mexico with Central America and the CA-9 highway that connects [[Puerto Barrios]] in the Guatemalan Caribbean with [[Puerto Quetzal]] in the Pacific.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Esteban |year=2014 |title=Red Vial de Guatemala 2014 |url=https://www.caminos.gob.gt/Descargas/Red%20Vial%20Registrada%202014.pdf |access-date=July 18, 2020 |website=www.caminos.gob.gt}}</ref> 

=== Urban transportation ===
The urban transport system began in Guatemala City in the 1990s and since then it has been one of the most used means of transport within metropolitan areas. Bus services such as [[Transmetro]] and [[Transurbano]] differ from other means of transportation, such as private or departmental public transport as they are regulated by lines with defined stops and are primarily used for short-distance transportation.

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=== Intercity transportation ===
The Intercity system connects various cities, departments, and countries. It is mainly used for long-distance travel. In Guatemala, it is common to see [[Bus transport in Central America|Chicken buses]], which are recycled and often colorfully painted former US school buses. There are also [[Coach (bus)|Pullman]] buses that offer different destinations within Guatemalan territory.

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| image1            = Yutong Guatemala Workshop Bus.jpg
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==== Streets ====
Guatemalan streets tend to be one-ways to ease congestion and move traffic.

==== Highways ====
*''Total:'' 14,095&nbsp;km
*''Paved:'' 4,863&nbsp;km (including 75&nbsp;km of [[limited-access road|expressway]]s)
*''Unpaved:'' 9,232&nbsp;km (1999 est.)

== Airports ==
{{Main|List of airports in Guatemala}}

[[File:ATR 72-500 TAG Airlines La Aurora Int Airport.jpg|thumb|[[ATR 72|ATR 72-500]] of [[Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos|TAG Airlines]], Guatemala's flag carrier at [[La Aurora International Airport]].]]
Guatemala has a total of 402 airports and airstrips. Among these, three are international: [[La Aurora International Airport]] located in Guatemala City, [[Mundo Maya International Airport]] in [[Santa Elena, El Petén|Santa Elena de la Cruz]], and [[Quetzaltenango Airport|Western International Airport]] in [[Quetzaltenango Department|Quetzaltenango]]. 

The [[General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Guatemala)|General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics]] (DGAC) is the state agency responsible for regulating civil aviation throughout the country. Its primary functions include: managing the airports of Guatemala, controlling traffic in the national airspace, and overseeing the operation and acquisition of aircraft throughout the republic.

=== Named airports ===
*La Aurora International Airport
*Mundo Maya International Airport
*[[San José Airport (Guatemala)|San José Airport]]
*[[Quetzaltenango Airport]]
*[[Puerto Barrios Airport]]

=== Airports - with paved runways ===
*''total:'' 11
*''2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 3
*''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 2
*''914 to 1,523 m:'' 4
*''under 914 m:'' 2 (2006 est.)

=== Airports - with unpaved runways ===
*''total:'' 439
*''2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 1
*''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 8
*''914 to 1,523 m:'' 111
*''under 914 m:'' 319 (2006 est.)
==Railways==
''{{Main|Rail transport in Guatemala}}''

''total:''

* {{Convert|1.65|km|mi|abbr=in}} cross border link from Mexico to Tecun Uman rebuilt as standard gauge {{Track gauge|1,435mm}} in 2019<ref>{{Cite web |title=Railway between Guatemala and Mexico, connectivity across Puerto Chiapas |url=https://www.puertochiapas.com.mx/news/362-railway-between-guatemala-and-mexico-connectivity-across-puerto-chiapas |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=www.puertochiapas.com.mx}}</ref>

* {{convert|322|km|mi|abbr=on}} operated by the [[Railroad Development Corporation]]<ref>[http://www.rrdc.com/op_guatemala_fvg.html RDC]</ref> until September 2007, now closed <ref>[http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2007/septiembre/06/181615.html Closure]</ref><ref>[http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/central-america-going-nowhere.html Central America going nowhere]. ''[[Railway Gazette International]]'' August 2007.</ref>
* {{convert|563|km|mi|abbr=on}} closed

''[[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow gauge]]:''
884&nbsp;km {{RailGauge|3ft}} gauge (single track)

===Railway links with adjacent countries===
* {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Transportation in Mexico|Mexico]] - short link since 2019, previously [[break-of-gauge]] {{RailGauge|3ft}}/{{RailGauge|ussg}}
* {{flagicon|Belize}} [[Transport in Belize|Belize]] - None
* {{flagicon|Honduras}} [[Transport in Honduras|Honduras]] - none in use - [[break-of-gauge]] {{RailGauge|3ft}}/{{RailGauge|3ft6in}} (?)
* {{flagicon|El Salvador}} [[Transport in El Salvador|El Salvador]] - currently closed

==Waterways==
260&nbsp;km navigable year round; additional 730&nbsp;km navigable during high-water season

==Pipelines==
* [[Petroleum|oil]] 480&nbsp;km

==Ports and harbors==

=== Atlantic Ocean===
* [[Puerto Barrios]]
* [[Santo Tomás de Castilla]]

===Pacific Ocean===
* [[Champerico]], [[Puerto Quetzal]], [[Puerto San José]]

===Merchant marine===
None (1999 est.)

===Boats===
[[Ferry|Ferries]] serve as a mode of transportation in certain regions, such as [[Sayaxché]] and for traveling between the cities of [[Puerto Barrios]] and [[Livingston, Guatemala|Livingston]]. They are also used to connect multiple coastal towns in [[Lake Atitlán]].
== See also ==
* [[Airports in Guatemala]]
* [[Rail transport in Guatemala]]
* [[Guatemalan Air Force]]
* [[General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Guatemala)|General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics]]
* [[Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing]]
* [[2025 Guatemala City bus crash]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Guatemala topics}}
{{Americas topic|Transport in}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Transport in Guatemala}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Guatemala}}
[[Category:Transport in Guatemala| ]]