The Aztecs were located in central Mexico, mainly in the Valley of Mexico where modern-day Mexico City now stands.

Core location

  • The Aztec civilization developed in the Valley of Mexico, a highland basin surrounded by mountains and lakes.
  • Their capital city, Tenochtitlan, was built on islands in Lake Texcoco, on the site of present-day Mexico City.

Wider region

  • The Aztec Empire spread across much of central and southern Mexico, stretching hundreds of miles from the Gulf of Mexico toward the Pacific coast.
  • This broader area is part of what historians call Mesoamerica , which includes central Mexico and parts of Central America.