Plan on about 6 h 30 min of driving for the 355-mile (571 km) trip from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo, before any stops.
| Distance by road | 355 mi (571 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 30 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-175 → MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
On the road from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (69 mi) carry about 62% of the 355 miles. It runs through 5 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Capulalpam de Méndez and Huasca de Ocampo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 6–40 | 34 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 40–50 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-135D | 50–201 | 151 | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 201–270 | 69 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 270–271 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 271–316 | 45 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 316–320 | 4 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 320–336 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 336–339 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 339–349 | 10 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 349–355 | 6 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 150 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 275 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 298 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 306 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 318 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
What to see on the way from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (mile 43)
- Nature and outdoors: Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (mile 43), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 50), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 158), El Chico National Park (mile 344)
- Museums and history: Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (mile 46), Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal (mile 250)
Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden
Next to the Church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca City, the Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca) is a botanical garden covering about 2.3 acres.
Archaeological Zone of Atzompa
About 8 km west of Oaxaca City on Cerro del Bonete, in Santa María Atzompa, this archaeological site was a monumental complex that belonged to nearby Monte Albán.
Benito Juárez National Park
Just north of Oaxaca City, Benito Juárez National Park covers about 2,737 hectares of pine and oak forest. Trails wind through the woods, including La Coronilla, a moderate loop of roughly 5 km.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
This arid valley straddling Puebla and Oaxaca joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2018 as a mixed site. It is a major center of cactus diversity and preserves ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams built to manage scarce water.
Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal
Puebla's San Pedro Museo de Arte, formerly the Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal, opened in 2000 and focuses on New Spanish painting, with galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Teatro de la Ciudad de Puebla
The Teatro de la Ciudad is a performance venue on the Portal Hidalgo, in the historic center of the city of Puebla.
Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena
The former convent of Santa María Magdalena (Exconvento de Santa María Magdalena) is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Dieguino friars, still in use as a Catholic temple of the Archdiocese of Puebla.
El Chico National Park
In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.
In Huasca de Ocampo itself
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.
More drives to Huasca de Ocampo
- Actopan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Otumba to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tepotzotlán to Huasca de Ocampo
- Mexico City to Huasca de Ocampo
- Jilotepec to Huasca de Ocampo
- Zimapán to Huasca de Ocampo
From Capulalpam de Méndez to other places in Mexico
- Capulalpam de Méndez to Boca del Cielo
- Capulalpam de Méndez to Omitlán
- Capulalpam de Méndez to Sueños de Oro
- Capulalpam de Méndez to Tócuaro
- Capulalpam de Méndez to Pacanda
- Capulalpam de Méndez to San José del Pacífico
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo?
About 6 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 355 miles.
How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Capulalpam de Méndez by car?
About 355 miles (571 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Capulalpam de Méndez to Huasca de Ocampo?
In order: MEX-175, MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Capulalpam de Méndez and Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (botanical garden, mile 43, 0.4 mi from the route); Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (archaeological site, mile 46, 2 mi from the route); Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena (convent, mile 271, 2 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.