What is the capital city of Mexico?

The capital city of Mexico is Mexico City.

The city stands in the Valley of Mexico on the country’s high central plateau. It began as Tenochtitlan, a Mexica city founded around 1325 on islands in Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquest in 1521, the colonial city was built largely over the ruins of Tenochtitlan.

Mexico City became the capital of independent Mexico in 1824. Its historic center still preserves major reminders of both eras, including the Zócalo, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor archaeological site.

A common mix-up is confusing Mexico City with the state of Mexico, which surrounds much of the capital but has a different government and capital, Toluca. Mexico City is also officially a federal entity rather than one of Mexico’s 31 states.