Villa del Carbón is a municipality located in the northern region of Mexico State, situated just northwest of Mexico City. The territory was officially defined in 1714 when the region of Chiapan was split into Chapa de Mota and Villa del Carbón.
The municipal seat of Villa del Carbón is the largest town in the area, though it is not the oldest. Historically, the community was identified by its church, Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia, and later by its role as a major supplier of charcoal. This history led to the original name Villanueva del Carbón de Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Peña de Francia, which was eventually shortened to Villa del Carbón.
The municipality is home to several villages of Otomí and Nahua origins where indigenous culture remains prevalent. Notably, the municipality's official coat-of-arms features glyphs that represent two of its oldest communities, Taxhimay and San Lorenzo Pueblo Nuevo, rather than the town of Villa del Carbón itself.