Volcanoes by country

Mexico

Volcanoes in Mexico

Map, activity and eruption history

The Holocene catalogue of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 30 volcanoes in Mexico. This page brings together the map, report status, eruption history and the surroundings of every single volcano. None of them currently has a running eruption report.

Earthquakes · Mexico
With a current report
None No current eruption report
Volcanoes in the catalogue
30
Documented eruptions
98
Highest volcano
5,564 mOrizaba, Pico de
Last documented eruption
2026Popocatepetl

Map

Volcano map of Mexico

Every volcano in the country with plate boundaries, air traffic within 50 km, airports and nuclear power plants. Earthquakes can be added on top.

Map layers

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Markers show the catalogue position of a volcano, not the extent of a hazard zone. Plate boundaries after Bird (2003), PB2002.

All volcanoes in Mexico

Sorted by report status and elevation. Every entry opens the full volcano profile.

Volcano catalogue
  1. Orizaba, Pico de No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    5,564 m
    Last eruption
    1846
    Eruptions
    8
  2. Popocatepetl No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    5,393 m
    Last eruption
    2026
    Eruptions
    8
  3. Iztaccihuatl No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    5,230 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
  4. Toluca, Nevado de No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    4,680 m
    Last eruption
    1350 BCE
    Eruptions
    1
  5. Malinche, La No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    4,461 m
    Last eruption
    1170 BCE
    Eruptions
    7
  6. Tacana No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    4,064 m
    Last eruption
    1986
    Eruptions
    8
  7. Chichinautzin No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    3,938 m
    Last eruption
    399
    Eruptions
    8
  8. Jocotitlan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    3,911 m
    Last eruption
    1270
    Eruptions
    2
  9. Michoacan-Guanajuato No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    3,860 m
    Last eruption
    1952
    Eruptions
    8
  10. Colima No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    3,850 m
    Last eruption
    2019
    Eruptions
    8
  11. Zitacuaro-Valle de Bravo No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    3,500 m
    Last eruption
    3050 BCE
    Eruptions
    1
  12. Serdan-Oriental Volcanic Field No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    3,485 m
    Last eruption
    3920 BCE
    Eruptions
    1
  13. Humeros, Los No current eruption report
    Type
    Caldera
    Elevation
    3,150 m
    Last eruption
    4470 BCE
    Eruptions
    1
  14. Mascota Volcanic Field No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    2,525 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
  15. Sanganguey No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,340 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    1
  16. Ceboruco No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,280 m
    Last eruption
    1875
    Eruptions
    4
  17. Durango Volcanic Field No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    2,075 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
  18. Naolinco Volcanic Field No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    2,000 m
    Last eruption
    1145
    Eruptions
    2
  19. San Martin No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    1,660 m
    Last eruption
    1796
    Eruptions
    8
  20. San Borja Volcanic Field No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    1,360 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions

“Last eruption” is a catalogue record, not evidence of activity in progress.

Significant volcanic eruptions in Mexico

Eruptions with fatalities, damage or high explosivity from the NOAA NCEI database of significant volcanic eruptions.

  1. 1982 Chichon, El VEI 5 1,879 Deaths Damage: 3.3 million USD
  2. 1943 Michoacan-Guanajuato VEI 4 103 Deaths
  3. 1982 Chichon, El VEI 5 33 Deaths
  4. 1913 Colima VEI 4 13 Deaths
  5. 1996 Popocatepetl VEI 3 5 Deaths Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  6. 1982 Chichon, El VEI 5 1 Deaths
  7. 2022 Popocatepetl VEI 2 1 Deaths
  8. 930 Ceboruco VEI 6
  9. 1375 Chichon, El VEI 5 Deaths: some (roughly 51–100)
  10. 1818 Colima VEI 4 Deaths: few (roughly 1–50)
  11. 1590 Colima VEI 3 Deaths: many (roughly 101–1000)
  12. 1576 Colima VEI 3 Deaths: few (roughly 1–50)
  13. 1919 Popocatepetl VEI 1 Deaths: some (roughly 51–100)

Explosivity of the documented eruptions

VEI · 61

VEI 0
6
VEI 1
11
VEI 2
20
VEI 3
14
VEI 4
6
VEI 5
3
VEI 6
1

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) runs from 0 (effusive) to 8 (super-eruptive). Each step stands for roughly ten times the erupted mass.

Eruptions per century

1500–1599
7
1600–1699
3
1700–1799
5
1800–1899
8
1900–1999
23
2000–2099
4

Documented eruptions since 1500. Earlier centuries are recorded less completely, so a rise also reflects better observation.

Earthquakes near volcanoes – Mexico

2 events in the last 30 days within 50 km of a volcano in Mexico.

Earthquakes · Mexico

Spatial proximity does not establish a volcanic origin. Many events in volcanic regions are tectonic.

Tectonic setting and volcano types

What the volcanic landscape of Mexico is made of and which tectonic setting it sits in.

Tectonic setting

  • Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)21
  • Rift zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)5
  • Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)4

Most common volcano types

  • Volcanic field12
  • Stratovolcano10
  • Shield volcano2
  • Fissure vent2
  • Caldera1

Infrastructure within 100 km

Airports with scheduled service and nuclear power plant sites near a volcano in Mexico.

Airports 23

  • General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport8.4 km · DGO
  • Amado Nervo National Airport12.1 km · TPQ
  • Licenciado Miguel de la Madrid International Airport26.7 km · CLQ
  • Hermanos Serdán International Airport28.5 km · PBC
  • Adolfo López Mateos International Airport32.5 km · TLC
  • Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport34.3 km · MEX
  • Palo Verde Airport44.0 km · SRL
  • Agricola La Tuxcana Airport44.5 km
  • Tapachula International Airport46.8 km · TAP
  • Puerto Vallarta International Airport47.2 km · PVR
  • Loreto International Airport57.1 km · LTO
  • Mar de Cortés International Airport58.4 km · PPE

Nuclear power plants 1

  • Laguna Verde nuclear power plant53.6 km · Operating at dataset date

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts.

Volcanoes in profile – Mexico

Short descriptions of the country's best-known volcanoes.

Orizaba, Pico de

Stratovolcano · 5,564 m · Last eruption: 1846

Citlaltépetl, otherwise known as Pico de Orizaba, is an active volcano and the highest volcano in North America, as well as the highest mountain in Mexico and third highest peak in North America, after Denali of the United States and Mount Logan of Canada. It rises 5,636 metres (18,491 ft) above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla. The volcano is currently dormant but not extinct, with the last eruption taking place during the 19th century. It is the second most prominent volcanic peak in the world after Mount Kilimanjaro. Pico de Orizaba is ranked 16th by topographic isolation.

Popocatepetl

Stratovolcano · 5,393 m · Last eruption: 2026

Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano located in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico in central Mexico. It lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. At 5,393 m (17,694 ft) it is the second highest peak in Mexico, after Citlaltépetl at 5,636 m (18,491 ft). Popocatépetl is ranked 89th by prominence.

Iztaccihuatl

Stratovolcano · 5,230 m · Last eruption: Not available

Iztaccíhuatl or Ixtaccíhuatl is a 5,230 m (17,160 ft) dormant volcanic mountain in Mexico located on the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla within Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park. It is the nation's third highest, after Pico de Orizaba at 5,636 m (18,491 ft), and Popocatépetl at 5,426 m (17,802 ft).

Toluca, Nevado de

Stratovolcano · 4,680 m · Last eruption: 1350 BCE

Nevado de Toluca is a stratovolcano in central Mexico, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Mexico City near the city of Toluca. It is the fourth highest of Mexico's peaks, after Pico de Orizaba, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. The volcano and the area around it is now a national park, which was closed indefinitely in August 2025 after an accident.

Malinche, La

Stratovolcano · 4,461 m · Last eruption: 1170 BCE

La Malinche, also known as Matlalcueye or Malintzin, is an inactive volcano located in the states of Tlaxcala and Puebla in Mexico. Officially, its summit reaches 4,461 metres (14,636 ft) above sea level, though it is generally considered to be closer to 4,440 metres (14,567 ft), using GPS measurements. It is the highest peak in Tlaxcala, the fifth-highest in Puebla, the sixth-highest in Mexico, the 23rd-highest in North America, and the 252nd-highest in the world. Its height above nearby cities varies from 1,908 metres (6,260 ft) above Huamantla, 2,461 metres (8,074 ft) above Villa Vicente Guerrero, 2,221 metres (7,287 ft) above Tlaxcala, to 2,299 metres (7,543 ft) above Puebla. The summit is 22.4 kilometres (13.9 mi) from Tlaxcala, 28.3 kilometres (17.6 mi) from Puebla, and 118 kilometres (73 mi) from Mexico City. The climate is cold near the summit and mild on the lower slopes.

Tacana

Stratovolcano · 4,064 m · Last eruption: 1986

The volcano Tacaná is the second highest peak in Central America at 4,060 metres (13,320 ft), located in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas of western Guatemala and southern Mexico. It is also known in Mexico as Volcán Tacina.

Short descriptions: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions about volcanoes in Mexico

How many volcanoes are there in Mexico?
The Holocene catalogue of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 30 volcanoes in Mexico. It covers volcanoes with eruptions during the last roughly 12,000 years.
Which volcano in Mexico is the highest?
The highest recorded volcano is Orizaba, Pico de at 5,564 m.
When was the last documented eruption in Mexico?
The most recent eruption documented in the catalogue dates from 2026 (Popocatepetl).
Are the volcanoes in Mexico active?
None of the 30 volcanoes currently has an eruption report. That does not mean they are extinct – source coverage differs from volcano to volcano.
Why does the map show aircraft around volcanoes?
Volcanic ash endangers aircraft engines. The map therefore shows live positions within 50 km of a volcano so that the proximity of air traffic to an active volcano becomes visible.
Where does the data on this page come from?
Catalogue data and eruption history from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, significant eruptions from NOAA NCEI, alert levels and bulletins from USGS, GeoNet and INGV, earthquakes from the QuakeMap24 database, flight positions from ADSB.lol.

Volcanoes in other countries

Countries with at least 5 volcanoes in the catalogue.

All countries with volcanoes

Sources and data dates

Everything shown comes from the public sources listed below and is updated automatically.

QuakeMap24 is not a warning authority. Follow the responsible authorities when making local decisions.