Toluca is about 65 km west of Mexico City, on the far side of the mountains that ring the capital. The drive on the Mexico–Toluca highway (Federal Highway 15) takes around an hour outside rush hour and three or more during it; the road climbs to over 3,000 metres at the pass before dropping to the Toluca Valley.
El Insurgente commuter train, opened in 2023, now runs between Zinacantepec (just west of Toluca) and Santa Fe in Mexico City — eventually extending all the way to Observatorio. It is the quickest way between the two cities outside rush hour, taking around 40 minutes. Several stations serve Greater Toluca (Zinacantepec, Pino Suárez/Toluca Centro, Tecnológico/Metepec).
Long-distance buses run from Mexico City's Observatorio terminal (TAPO is on the other side of the city) several times an hour. Toluca International Airport has limited domestic flights and is mostly used as a low-cost alternative to Mexico City's main airport.