Adolfo López Mateos International Airport — Toluca, Mexico

Toluca's airport, given the code TLC and named for a former Mexican president, sits at one of the highest elevations of any major airport in North America, tied to its location in the Valley of Toluca just west of Mexico City. For years, TLC served as a secondary option for travelers accessing the greater Mexico City area, particularly favored by low-cost carriers looking to avoid congestion and higher fees at the capital's main international airport. The high altitude surrounding TLC affects aircraft performance, requiring longer takeoff distances and sometimes payload restrictions during warmer conditions, a challenge shared with other elevated airports around the world. Toluca itself is the capital of the State of Mexico, an industrial and manufacturing center that benefits from close proximity to the much larger capital while maintaining its own distinct colonial-era downtown core. Cargo operations have also grown at TLC, benefiting from the region's manufacturing base and highway connections toward central Mexico.