Guadalajara ˌ ɡ w ɑː d əl ə ˈ h ɑːr ə 5 Spanish ɡwa 240 alaˈxaɾa listen is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco The city has a population of 1 460 148 1 while the Guadalajara metropolitan area has a population of 5 002 466 1 making it the second largest metropolitan area in the country