The name Pachuca comes from the Nahuatl word Pachoaca or Pachoacan, meaning "place of the rulers" or "narrow place"; it may also come from the word Patlachiuhacan, which means "place of silver and gold." The official name of the city is Pachuca de Soto in honor of Deputy Manuel Fernando Soto, who was one of founders of the state.

Pachuca has a population of about 250,000 people. The city is located 94 kilometers from Mexico City, to which it is connected by a modern freeway. The city has a moderate climate with average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Pachuca has been given the name "la bella airosa" or "the windy beauty" because during most of the year there are strong northeasterly winds that can reach 75 km./hr. Pachuca is an important mining center and has an active commercial and cultural life. Numerous industries are based in Pachuca and the surrounding areas, including automobile parts, ovenware, tools and mining equipment.
The Reloj Monumental (Monumental Clock) is the central clock tower, built in 1904 in the city center. The bell which chimes in this clock was made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same company that made the original Liberty Bell, and London's famous Big Ben. There is also the Centro Cultural Hidalgo, ("Hidalgo Cultural Center") which is housed in an old monastery and contains museums, a theater, a library, and a gallery. Pachuca is also home to the Museo Nacional de la Fotografía, the National Museum of Mexican Photography.