This article lists the viceroys who ruled the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1535 to 1821 in the name of the monarch of Spain.
In addition to viceroys, this article lists the highest Spanish governors of the viceroyalty, before the appointment of the first viceroy or when the office of viceroy was vacant. Most of these individuals exercised most or all of the functions of viceroy, usually on an interim basis.
Governor of the Spanish Indies This office covered the territories that were discovered by Christopher Columbus. 1492–1499: Christopher Columbus, as governor and viceroy of the West Indies 1499–1502: Francisco de Bobadilla, as governor of the West Indies 1502–1509: Nicolás de Ovando, as governor of the West Indies 1509–1518: Diego Columbus, as governor of the West Indies until 1511, thereafter as viceroy
Governor of New Spain This office covered the territories that were claimed by Hernán Cortés. The office covered the territories that were under the control of the Governor of the Indies after 1524.
13 August 1521 – 24 December 1521: Hernán Cortés 24 December 1521 – 30 December 1521: Cristóbal de Tapia 30 December 1521 – 12 October 1524: Hernán Cortés, as governor and captain general from 15 October 1522 12 October 1524 – 29 December 1524: Alonso de Estrada, Rodrigo de Albornoz, Alonso de Zuazo 29 December 1524 – 17 February 1525: Gonzalo de Salazar, Pedro Almíndez Chirino, Alonso de Zuazo 17 February 1525 – 20 April 1525: Gonzalo de Salazar, Pedro Almíndez Chirino, Alonso de Estrada, Rodrigo de Albornoz, Alonso de Zuazo 20 April 1525 – 23 May 1525: Gonzalo de Salazar, Pedro Almíndez Chirino, Alonso de Zuazo 24 May 1525 – 28 January 1526: Gonzalo de Salazar, Pedro Almíndez Chirino 29 January 1526 – 24 June 1526: Alonso de Estrada, Rodrigo de Albornoz 25 June 1526 – 3 July 1526: Hernán Cortés 4 July 1526 – 16 July 1526: Luis Ponce de León 16 July 1526 – 1 March 1527: Marcos de Aguilar 2 March 1527 – 22 August 1527: Alonso de Estrada, Gonzalo de Sandoval, Luis de la Torre 22 August 1527 – 8 December 1528: Alonso de Estrada, Luis de la Torre 9 December 1528 – 21 December 1529: Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo, Diego Delgadillo (the first Audiencia) 21 December 1529 – 9 January 1531: Juan Ortiz de Matienzo, Diego Delgadillo (the first Audiencia) 10 January 1531 – 16 April 1535: Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal, Vasco de Quiroga, Juan de Salmerón, Alonso de Maldonado, Francisco Ceinos (the second Audiencia)
Viceroys of New Spain (1535–1821) The first Viceroy of New Spain was appointed in 1535 to consolidate the offices of the Governor of the Indies and the Governor of New Spain into a single office. Portrait Governor From UntilSecretary of the IndiesDepending secretariat of the colonyValidoSecretary of the Universal BureauFirst Secretary of StateRegent Monarch 1 Antonio de Mendoza 14 November 1535 25 November 1550Vacant (Overseas Affairs hold by the President of the Council of the Indies)No validoNo regencyCharles I 2 Luís de Velasco 25 November 1550 31 July 1564Philip IIFrancisco Ceinos,Dean of the Audiencia1 August 156419 October 1566 3 Gastón Carrillo de Peralta y Bosquete, 3rd Marquess of Falces 19 October 1566 11 November 1567 Alonso de Muñoz,Royal commissioner of New Spain11 November 156715 April 1568 Luis Carrillo, Royal commissioner of New Spain Francisco Ceinos,Dean of the Audiencia 15 April 1568 5 November 1568 4 Martín Enríquez de Almanza 5 November 1568 4 October 1580 5 Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza,4th Count of La Coruña 4 October 1580 19 June 1583Luis de Villanueva y Zapata,Dean of the Audiencia19 June 158325 September 1584 6 Pedro de Moya y Contrerás(Archbishop of Mexico) 25 September 1584 17 October 1585 7 Álvaro Manrique de Zúñiga1st Marquess of Villamanrique 17 October 1585 27 January 1590 8 Luís de VelascoMarquess of Salinas 27 January 1590 5 November 1595 9 Gaspar de Zúñiga Acevedo y Fonseca,5th Count of Monterrey 5 November 1595 27 October 1603Duke of LermaAs valido of the King of Spain Philip III 10 Juan de Mendoza y Luna, Marquess of Montesclaros 27 October 1603 2 July 1607 11 Luís de Velasco,Marquess of Salinas 2 July 1607 19 June 1611 12 García Guerra, (Archbishop of Mexico) 19 June 1611 22 February 1612 Pedro Otárola,Dean of the Audiencia 22 February 1612 18 October 161213Diego Fernández de Córdoba,Marquess of Guadalcázar and Count of Posadas18 October 161214 March 1621Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval Paz de Valecillo,Dean of the Audiencia 14 March 1621 11 September 1621Baltasar de ZúñigaPhilip IV14Diego Carrillo de Mendoza y Pimentel,1st Marquess of Gélves21 September 16211 November 1624Count-Duke of Olivares Vacant Due to the discrepancy on the arrival of successor Viceroy from 1 to 3 November 1624. 15 Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio de Toledo,3rd Marquess of Cerralvo 3 November 1624 16 September 1635 16 Lope Díez de Aux de Armendáriz,Marquess of Cadreita 16 September 1635 28 August 1640 17 Diego Roque López Pacheco Cabrera y Bobadilla,7th Duke of Escalona, 7th Marquess of Villena and 7th Count of Xiquena 28 August 1640 10 June 1642 18 Juan de Palafox y Mendoza(Bishop of Puebla) 10 June 1642 23 November 164219García Sarmiento de Sotomayor,2nd Count of Salvatierra and Marquess of Sobroso23 November 164214 May 1648Luis de Haro 20 Marcos de Torres y Rueda(Bishop of Yucatan) 15 May 1648 22 April 1649 Matías de Peralta,Dean of the Audiencia 22 April 1649 28 June 1650 21 Luis Enríquez de Guzmán,9th Count of Alba de Liste and Marquess of Villaflor 28 June 1650 15 August 1653 22 Francisco Fernández de la Cueva,8th Duke of Alburquerque, Marquess of Cuéllar, Count of Ledesma and of Huelma 15 August 1653 16 September 166023Juan de Leyva de la Cerda,Marquess of Adrada16 September 166029 June 1664No validoPersonalist government of Philip IV 24 Diego Osorio de Escobar y Llamas(Bishop of Puebla) 29 June 1664 15 October 166425 Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar,2nd Marquess of Mancera 16 October 1664 20 November 1673Juan Everardo NithardMariana of AustriaAs regent during the minority of his son, Charles IICharles IIFernando de Valenzuela 26 Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal y Castro,6th Duke of Veragua, 6th Marquess of Jamaica and 6th Count of Gelves 20 November 1673 13 December 167327Payo Enríquez de Rivera Manrique, (Bishop of Guatemala and Archbishop of Mexico)13 December 16737 November 1680No regencyJohn Joseph of AustriaAs Chief Minister of SpainDuke of Medinaceli28Tomás Antonio Manuel Lorenzo de la Cerda y Aragón3rd Marquess of La Laguna de Camero Viejo7 November 168016 June 1686Count of Oropesa 29 Melchor Portocarrero y Lasso de la Vega,3rd Count of Monclova 16 June 1686 20 November 168830Gaspar Melchor Baltasar de la Cerda Silva Sandoval y Mendoza,8th Count of Galve, Lord of Salcedón and Tortola20 November 168827 February 1696No validoAfter the dimission of Count of Oropesa, there wasn't any powerful person 31 Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño(Bishop of Durango, Guatemala, Michoacán and Archbishop of Mexico) 27 February 1696 18 December 169632José Sarmiento Valladares Arines de Romay,1st Duke of Atrisco, Count of Moctezuma and of Tula18 December 16964 November 1701Count of OropesaCardinal PortocarreroCardinal PortocarreroDuring the illness of Charles IIGovernment Board of the RealmsAfter the death of Charles IIVacantUntil the coronation of Philip of AnjouAntonio de UbillaAs Secretary of the Universal BureauPhilip V 33 Juan de Ortega Cano Montañez y Patiño(Archbishop of Mexico) 4 November 1701 27 November 1702Cardinal PortocarreroDuring the voyage of Philip V34Francisco V Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez y Fernández de la Cueva,10th Duke of Alburquerque and Marquess of Cuéllar27 November 170213 November 1710No regencyMarquis of Mejorada del Campo35Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva,1st Duke of Linares and Marquess of Valdefuentes13 November 171016 July 1716Manuel de Vadillo y VelascoJosé de GrimaldoBernardo Tinajero de la EscaleraAs Secretary of State for the Navy and the Indies of SpainNo secretary36Baltasar de Zúñiga Guzmán Sotomayor y Mendoza,1st Duke of Arión and Marquess of Valero16 July 171615 October 1722Miguel Fernández DuránAndres Matías de Pes Marzaraga37Juan de Acuña y Bejarano,2nd Marquess of Casa Fuerte15 October 172217 March 1734No secretaryAntonio de Sopeña y MioñoJuan Bautista de Orendáin Louis IPhilip VJosé de GrimaldoBaron RipperdaJosé de GrimaldoJosé de Patiño y RosalesJuan Bautista de Orendáin38Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta(Archbishop of Mexico)17 March 173417 August 1740José de Patiño y RosalesAs First Secretary of StateMateo Pablo Díaz de LavanderoMarquess of VillaríasMarquess of Villarías39Pedro de Castro Figueroa y Salazar,1st Duke of La Conquista and 1st Marquess of Gracia Real17 August 174022 August 1741 Pedro Malo de Villavicencio,President of the Audiencia 23 August 1741 2 November 174240Pedro Cebrián y Agustín,5th Count of Fuenclara3 November 17429 July 1746Marquess of Ensenada41Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas,1st Count of Revillagigedo9 July 17469 November 1755Ferdinand VIJosé de CarvajalDuke of Huéscar Ricardo WallRicardo Wall As Secretary of State for IndiesJulián de Arriaga y Ribera 42 Agustín de Ahumada y Villalón,Marquess of Amarillas 10 November 1755 5 February 1760Elisabeth FarneseUntil the arrival of Charles IIICharles IIINo regency Francisco Antonio de Echávarri,Dean of the Audiencia 5 February 1760 28 April 1760 43 Francisco Cajigal de la Vega 28 April 1760 5 October 176044Joaquín de Montserrat,Marquess of Cruillas5 October 176024 August 1766Jerónimo Grimaldi 45 Carlos Francisco de Croix,Marquess of Croix 24 August 1766 22 September 177146Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa22 September 17719 April 1779Marquess of SonoraCount of Floridablanca Francisco Romá y Rosell,Regent of the Audiencia 10 April 1779 22 August 1779 47 Martín de Mayorga Ferrer,Captain General of Guatemala 23 August 1779 28 April 1783 48 Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo,Captain General of Guatemala 28 April 1783 20 October 1784 – Vicente de Herrera y Rivero,Regent of the Audiencia 20 October 1784 17 June 1785 49 Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid,1st Viscount of Galveston and 1st Count of Gálvez 17 June 1785 30 November 1786 Eusebio Sánchez Pareja y BeleñoRegent of the Audiencia 30 November 1786 8 May 178750Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta(Archbishop of Mexico)8 May 178716 August 1787Count of Floridablanca Antonio PorlierAs Secretary of State for Grace and Justice of Indies