Toluca

Toluca, officially called Toluca de Lerdo, is the capital city of the State of Mexico. It is a big city with over 900,000 people, and together with nearby areas, it forms one of the five biggest cities in the country. Toluca is located just 63 kilometres southwest of Mexico City, which has helped it grow quickly.

The city is an important industrial center and is close to Metepec, a very wealthy area. Toluca has good roads and buildings, and its airport helps it connect to other places. Soon, a fast train called "El Insurgente" will link Toluca to Mexico City, traveling up to 160 kilometres per hour.

Toluca is high up in the mountains, at about 2,600 metres above sea level, making it the highest capital city in Mexico and North America. The weather is mild year-round, with temperatures usually between 6 and 25 degrees Celsius in warmer months and between -5 and 20 degrees Celsius in winter. The city has many places to visit, like traditional buildings, the Cosmovitral botanical garden, parks, museums, and fun festivals. One popular event is the Alfeñique Fair during the Day of the Dead, and there is also the Toluca International Film Festival.

Toluca has a strong sports tradition, especially through its football club, Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club. The club's home stadium, Estadio Nemesio Diez, opened in 1935 and can hold 30,000 fans. The men's team has played in the top league, Liga MX, since 1954, and the women's team, Deportivo Toluca Femenil, joined the women's league, Liga MX Femenil, in 2017.

Etymology

Toluca was originally called Nepintahihui, meaning "land of corn," by the Matlatzincas. Its current name comes from the Náhuatl language and was given by the Aztecs in 1473. The name tollocan means "place of Tolo," referring to a god. It was also known as Tolutépetl, meaning "hill of the god, Tolo," because of a nearby volcano. In 1861, the city was named Toluca de Lerdo to honor President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.

The Otomi people call Toluca Ncɨhni.

History

The Valley of Toluca was called Matlatzinco Valley long ago and was home to many different groups of people, including the Matlatzinca, Otomi, Mazahua, and Nahua. In 1478, the Mexica emperor Axayacatl took control of the area.

When the Spanish arrived in 1521, led by Gonzalo de Sandoval, they took over the Valley of Toluca. Over time, Toluca grew from a small town to a city. In 1799, it was officially named a city by King Carlos IV of Spain.

During Mexico’s fight for independence in 1810, important leader Miguel Hidalgo visited Toluca. After Mexico won its independence in 1821, Toluca became an important city in the State of Mexico. Many buildings and schools were built during this time, helping Toluca grow and become a modern city.

Geography

The municipality of Toluca covers an area of 420.14 km² and includes many communities besides Toluca de Lerdo. It shares borders with several nearby municipalities.

The Lerma River flows through the center of the municipality towards the west, eventually reaching Lake Chapala. The Nevado de Toluca, a volcano located about 30 km southwest of the city, is a popular spot for mountain biking, climbing, and high altitude running. It features two lagoons and is the only volcano in Mexico that can be entered by car. The area around the volcano was turned into the Nevado de Toluca National Park in 1936, which includes forests of pines and obeto trees, and various animals such as camp rats, squirrels, and eagles. There are picnic tables and BBQ grills on the lower part of the mountain, and visitors can practice scuba-diving and fishing in the lagoons inside the crater.

Sierra Morelos Park, located about 3 km from the center of Toluca, is a reforested area with a small artificial lake, picnic area, and playground.

Climate

Toluca has a subtropical highland climate, which means it has cool, dry winters and mild, wet summers. Because it is located at an altitude of 2,680 meters, Toluca is one of the coolest large cities in Mexico. Winter nights can be cold, with temperatures sometimes dropping below 0 °C. The climate often has long dry periods, especially in winter, with most of the year's rain falling between June and September. Just outside the city, there are forests with oak, pine, fir, cedar, cypress, and other plants typical of central Mexico's temperate zone.

Economy

In old times, Toluca became well-known for making smoked and cured meats, especially a type of sausage called chorizo. Nearby Lerma still keeps this tradition alive. Since then, Toluca's economy has grown a lot and is now one of the busiest industrial areas in Mexico. Its central location in the country, close to Mexico City, and good infrastructure have helped it become a big center for factories and industries.

Toluca started growing as an industrial city in the 1940s, with the biggest growth happening in the 1950s through the 1980s. Today, Toluca makes many things, including food, metals, machines, paper, and even cars. Many big companies from around the world have set up factories there. For example, Chrysler has a big car factory, and other companies like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Coca-Cola also have important operations in the area. These industries provide jobs for many people in the region.

Transportation

Road

Toluca has highways that connect it to major cities in the country, its international airport, and its inter-city bus station.

The Libramiento Toluca is a bypass road that connects the Toluca-Mexico City highway to the north with the Toluca-Atlacomulco highway to the east. It helps traffic heading to the airport and provides a route around the city for travel to the west and northwest. Though finished, many people avoid it because of the high tolls.

Highways linking Toluca with Mexico City and Guadalajara are being expanded as part of the Mexiquese Outer Loop project. This aims to improve roads from Mexico City to other parts of the country. A new highway plan called Autopista Lerma - Tres Marías y Ramal Tenango would make travel easier between Toluca and Cuernavaca, and other southern cities. Right now, most roads from Toluca head north. The new road would let people travel south and east without going through Mexico City, connecting Toluca to the Mexico City–Cuernavaca highway. Some groups oppose this plan because they worry it could harm the Great Water Forest, an important area for water, and might bring unwanted growth to small towns.

Rail

A commuter rail named "El Insurgente" will link Toluca with Mexico City. The first part of this rail, from Zincatepec to Lerna, opened on September 15, 2023.

Airport

Toluca’s airport, Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport, helps serve the area. It has a very long runway and is located about 15 kilometres from Toluca and 60 kilometres from Mexico City’s capital. This airport works as an extra option for Mexico City. Recent years have seen big investments to develop the airport, creating jobs and increasing business in the area. Many people from Mexico City now choose to fly from Toluca’s airport instead.

Bike sharing

In 2015, Toluca started a bike-sharing program called Huizi, with 27 stations and 350 bicycles. The system is run by PBSC Urban Solutions.

Education

Toluca, being the capital of the State of Mexico, has many important schools and universities. There are both public and private options, including the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), which is a public university. Private universities such as Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC), Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), and Universidad del Valle de México also have campuses in the city.

Toluca has 574 schools with around 8,320 teachers. UAEM began as the Literary Institute in 1828 and became a university in 1956. It has many buildings across the city, including a large campus called "Ciudad Universitaria" near a hill named Cerro de Coatepec.

Private schools in Toluca include:

• Instituto Simón Bolívar Toluca

Landmarks

The center of Toluca is the Zócalo, also called Plaza de los Mártires. This square includes important buildings like the Palace of the State Government and the Justice Palace. The square’s name comes from events after the Battle of Tenango Hill during the Mexican War of Independence.

The square is surrounded by many government buildings. Some are very new, while others, like the state court and the municipal palace, date back to the 1800s. The Temple of La Merced is one of the oldest and most important churches, showing styles from different centuries.

Los Portales are three sets of arches that form the social and commercial heart of the city. They were built in different years and have unique names. Nearby, the Plaza de Fray Andrés de Castro is a lovely space with traditional shops and foods.

Toluca has many green parks, like Sierra Morelos park, which covers a large area and has many trees. The city is also home to several museums showcasing art, history, and science. These museums honor famous Mexican artists and display a wide range of collections, from paintings to ancient sculptures.

Culture

Toluca has many traditional festivities, such as a quiet procession on Holy Friday. During this event, people from Toluca and nearby areas gather in the city center to show respect for Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Easter and Lent are also celebrated in similar ways.

The city has two official orchestras, one from the state and one from the municipality. The state's orchestra is called the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México. There are also schools of dance, like the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the UAEM. A youth marching band called "Eagles of Anahuac" was formed about 35 years ago and was the first of its kind in the country.

Food and drink

Mexican food in Toluca mixes European and local ingredients. The city’s most famous dish is chorizo, a special sausage made from pork and tomato sauce, along with pumpkin mole, pipian, and many other flavors like pepper, wine, almonds, and chili.

Other popular foods include "tacos de carnitas" made from pork, and "tacos de plaza" with barbacoa, chicharron, and nopales. Traditional sweets in Toluca are "alegrías", candy bars called "jamoncillos", decorated "lemons", pumpkin treats called "chilacayotes", coconut candies named "cocadas", and peanut bars known as "palanquetas".

Traditional drinks in Toluca include "mosquito", a fruity drink mixed with alcohol, and "tepache", a fun drink made from fermented pineapple and other fruits.

Sports

Toluca has several professional sports clubs, including a famous football team called Deportivo Toluca. They play their home games at a well-known stadium called the Estadio Nemesio Díez, also known as "La Bombonera" or "The Bonbon Box."

The city is also a popular place for famous boxers to train. Notable boxers such as Julio César Chávez and Wilfredo Vazquez from Puerto Rico have used Toluca as their training center. Additionally, professional wrestler Tito Santana is said to be from Toluca, even though he actually comes from Mission, Texas.

Notable people

Toluca has been home to many well-known people. Some of them are Alejandro Ariceaga, José María Bustamante, Ángel María Garibay K., Luis Nishizawa, Adriana Barraza, Salvador Mejía Alejandre, Alberto Chimal, Ninel Conde, Mayrín Villanueva, Carmen Becerra, Vicente Pereda, Tito Santana, and Diego Luna.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Mexico

Toluca has friendly partnerships with cities around the world. Some of these cities include:

• Caparroso, Spain
• Cartago, Costa Rica
• Debrecen, Hungary
• Fort Worth, United States
• Nanchang, China
• Novi Sad, Serbia
• Ramallah and al-Bireh, Palestine
• Saitama, Japan
• Suwon, South Korea
• La Vega, Dominican Republic

Toluca also works together with:

• Curitiba, Brazil
• Lorient, France
• La Plata, Argentina
• Da Nang, Vietnam