Jiquilpan is the birthplace of two presidents of the republic: Anastasio Bustamante, who served as President on three occasions in the mid-19th century; and also of one of the most popular presidents of Mexico, Lázaro Cárdenas.
It has sister city exchange programs with Indio, California and Palmdale, California in the United States, where large numbers of residents from Jiquilpan relocated to in the 2000s. In the year 2000, the population was 25,778, but estimates can reach as high as 50,000 when seasonal migrant laborers come and stay there.