Polotitlán de la Ilustración serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Polotitlán, located in the northwestern region of the State of Mexico. The city is situated approximately 125 km north of Toluca, the state capital, and 121 km north-northwest of Mexico City. It shares a border with the neighboring state of Hidalgo.
The name Polotitlán is derived from the Spanish surname Polo combined with the Nahuatl suffix titlán, translating to "Place of the Polos." This designation honors the family that participated in the Mexican War of Independence.