Hamilton had gone into the 71-lap race at the Autodromo Hermano Rodriguez with a virtually unassailable 70-point lead over closest title rival Sebastian Vettel, who finished second ahead of his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
Hamilton, who matches the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio on the all-time list, was making a successful defense of the title which he also clinched in Mexico last season.
The 33-year Briton made a superb start to the race, moving from third on the grid in his Mercedes to overtake pole sitter Daniel Ricciardo and nearly forcing his way into the lead.
But Verstappen kept ahead and slowly pulled away from Hamilton and his other challengers to secure the fifth victory of his emerging F1 career and his second in a row in Mexico.
Hamilton endured an uncomfortable afternoon, struggling for grip with his tire choice and needing only a seventh-placed finish to guarantee the title, he put up little challenge as first Vettel and then Ricciardo overtook him.
The unlucky Ricciardo later suffered another retirement in a year blighted by bad luck, allowing Hamilton to reclaim the place.
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