Tampico, city in eastern Mexico, in Tamaulipas State, a port on the Pánuco River (near its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico). The city lies in a rich petroleum-producing region; it is a chief commercial center of northeastern Mexico and one of the most important seaports of the country. Its port is equipped with extensive wharves, sheds, warehouses, oil-storage tanks, pipelines, and equipment for loading oil tankers. The city is cosmopolitan and has many tall office buildings. Several nearby resorts provide abundant facilities for swimming, hunting, and fishing. Tampico was occupied in 1846 during the Mexican War by the United States Army, and it was taken by the French in 1862. During the first 20 years of the 20th century, exploitation of the oil fields brought an economic boom to Tampico, but later the oil fever subsided. Population (2008 estimate) 306,691.