Toluca (formally: Toluca de Lerdo) is the state capital of México State in central Mexico, located at . It is only a 45 minute drive west of Mexico City and 30 minutes from its fast-growing suburb, Santa Fe.
The name Toluca is a hispanization of the Náhuatl "Tollocan", which means "Place of the God Tollo". Its Náhuatl symbol was in use as the municipality symbol until 1979, when its Coat of Arms was created to replace it in official documents.
In 2003, Toluca had an estimated population of about 475,000 people. The climate is cool, particularly at night, not surprising considering its altitude of 2,680 m (8,790 ft) above sea level. Toluca is an important industrial center, with a large Chrysler plant and many other factories. It also has excellent educational facilities, including the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico (www.uaemex.mx), a campus of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) and others. The municipality of Metepec adds another 450,000 to the population and directly borders the city of Toluca.
Famous boxers often use Toluca as a training center. These have included Julio Cesar Chavez and Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Vazquez, among others.
Salvador Sanchez, another boxer, was from Santiago Tianguistenco, located to the south-east area of Toluca.
Cities in México State | Mexican state capitals
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