After the Spanish invasion, Tultepec was given to Alonso Ávila along with the current municipalities of Zumpango, Xaltocán, Huehuetoca, Coyotepec, Teoloyucan and others, as part of the Encomienda de Cuautitlán.

The modern town of Tultepec began to take shape around 1610 in the valley next to a small elevation called San Martín.

Franciscans came to evangelize the new community, dedicating it to the Nativity of Holy Mary and constructing a temple in 1618.

[3] Many pioneers in pyrotechnics came from Tultepec, including Agustín, Miguel and Gregorio Fiesco (1880); José Solano Urbán (1900–1920), who revolutionized firework sets and castles; Felipe Reyes, who worked on the colors red and yellow around 1920; Ángel Guadalupe Flores, who around 1920 invented star fireworks and sparklers as well as several types of rockets; Cirilo Sánchez (1920), who worked on aerostatic balloons; as well as Tomás Romero, Ángel Urbán Rivero, Marcos Romero, and Felipe Fiesco, who innovated such items as the electric target, the spider bomb, and two-figure wheels between 1930 and 1934.

On 20 December 2016, at least 36 people were killed and 59 were injured when fireworks exploded at the San Pablito Market.

[5] As municipal seat, Tultepec has governing jurisdiction over the communities of Guadalupe, Rancho el Cuquío, Maite (Granja Maite), San Antonio Xahuento, Rancho San Joaquín, Santiago Teyahualco, Rancho la Virgen, Ejido Tultepec, Rancho Nodín, Paraje Trigo Tenco, Ejido de Teyahualco, Hacienda Real de Tultepec, Unidad CTM San Pablo, Barrio de San Martín, Ejido San Pablito (Paraje San Pablito), Colonia las Brisas, La Rinconada, La Saucera, Cajiga (Ejido de Tultepec), El Progreso, Colonia la Aurora and Fraccionamiento Paseos de Tultepec II.