Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, early modern

Battle of Otumba

Battle of Otumba was a battle fought on 7 July 1520 at Otompan, in what is now Mexico. It was part of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, which ran from 1519 to 1521. The recorded result: Spanish-Tlaxcalan victory.

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Title: The Battle of Otumba (July 7, 1520). During this flight from Tenochtitlán, Cortés and his men encounter Cuitláhuac, the new Mexica leader of the Aztec empire, the brother of Moctezuma, who atta
Title: The Battle of Otumba (July 7, 1520). During this flight from Tenochtitlán, Cortés and his men encounter Cuitláhuac, the new Mexica leader of the Aztec empire, the brother of Moctezuma, who atta. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought7 July 1520
WhereOtompan, Mexico19.697N, 98.755W
OutcomeSpanish-Tlaxcalan victory
BelligerentsSpanish Empire; Confederacy of TlaxcalaagainstAztec Empire
Casualties and losses60 Spanish dead, unknown Tlaxcalan lossesandUnknown
Part ofSpanish conquest of the Aztec Empire1519 to 1521

Where it sits in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire

Battle of Tlaxcala, 1519Battle of the Pánuco River, 1520Battle of Tetzcoco, 1520Battle of Nautla, 1520Battle of Cempoala, 1520La Noche Triste, 1520Battle of Otumba, 1520Battle of Huaxtepec, 1521Battle of Tacuba, 1521Battle of Xaltocan, 1521Battle of Yecapixtla, 1521Battle of Colhuacatonco, 1521Battle of Loma del Sangremal, 153115191531Battle of Otumba, 1520
13 placed engagements of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date7 July 1520
PlaceOtompan, Mexico
19.697N, 98.755W
KindBattle, early modern
StrengthSpanish Army: 600 soldiers; 13 mounted infantry; 12 crossbowmen; 7 arquebusiers; No artillery; Tlaxcala Army: 800 troops10,000–20,000 Aztec warriors
Casualties and losses60 Spanish dead, unknown Tlaxcalan lossesUnknown
Commanders
Battle of OtumbaBattle of OtumbaBattle of TlatelolcoBattle of ColhuacatoncoFall of TenochtitlanSiege of Mexico CityBattle of ChapultepecBattle of TlatelolcoBattle of ColhuacatoncoPueblaQuerétaroCuernavacaPachucaPoza Rica de HidalgoZumpangoTeziutlánTaxco100 km19.697N, 98.755W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1520

Battle of Otumba is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 164 in present-day Mexico.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2888038, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Otumba, revision 1384596409, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.