What was the population size of Tenochtitlan?

Estimates of the population size of Tenochtitlan at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1519-1521 vary widely. The Aztec capital was undoubtedly one of the largest cities in the pre-Columbian Americas, but precise population figures are difficult to ascertain due to the lack of reliable censuses and the biases inherent in contemporary accounts.

Various estimates based on different sources and interpretations range from around 100,000 to 300,000 inhabitants. Some scholars suggest that the city's population may have reached over half a million people, while others argue for a more moderate figure of approximately 200,000.

It's important to note that these estimates often refer to the population within the central island city itself, excluding the extensive outlying areas and satellite settlements around the lake system that constituted the wider Aztec urban zone. The total population within the broader metropolitan region of Tenochtitlan may have been considerably higher, encompassing several hundred thousand people.

As such, the precise population size of Tenochtitlan remains a subject of ongoing research and debate among archaeologists and historians, with various estimations contributing to our understanding of the city's significance and grandeur during the height of the Aztec civilization.