Plan on about 6 h 15 min of driving for the 383-mile (617 km) trip from Cárdenas to Huejotzingo, before any stops.
| Distance by road | 383 mi (617 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 15 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-150 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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.
How the Cárdenas to Huejotzingo drive plays out
MEX-145D (142 mi) and MEX-150D (137 mi) carry about 73% of the 383 miles. It runs through 3 states: Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Cárdenas to Huejotzingo: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-180 | 0–11 | 11 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180D | 11–44 | 33 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180 | 44–63 | 19 | Tabasco, Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 63–85 | 22 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 85–227 | 142 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 227–364 | 137 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| local roads | 364–368 | 4 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 368–373 | 5 | Puebla |
| MEX-150 | 373–383 | 10 | Puebla |
- Mile 47 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 295 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Cárdenas and Huejotzingo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 282), Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula (mile 373)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 282)
- Museums and history: La Venta (mile 44), Huatusco (mile 234), Fort Guadalupe (mile 363), Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (mile 368), Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula (mile 373)
La Venta
More than 200 artifacts fill the site museum at La Venta, among them massive sandstone sculptures discovered at the base of the main pyramid. The once-important Olmec city lies in Tabasco, near Huimanguillo.
Huatusco
Above the Atoyac River in Carrillo Puerto, the ruins of Huatusco (Cuauhtochco) include a Mexica-era temple that still keeps original surface finishes. There are no visitor facilities; reaching it means crossing a suspension bridge and climbing a steep trail, ideally with a local guide.
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park
Veracruz is home to Cañón del Río Blanco National Park, a natural area that the Mexican government has set aside for protection.
Fort Guadalupe
Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.
Convent Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Puebla
An early 17th-century example of Puebla Baroque, the Church of the Virgin of Carmen has two richly decorated chapels and a neoclassical altarpiece holding an image of the Virgin by sculptor José Antonio Villegas Cora.
Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos
In Puebla's historic center, this national railway museum studies, preserves and shares Mexico's railroad heritage through exhibits on the history of the trains.
Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula
Run by INAH, the Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula is the site museum for Cholula's archaeological zone. Don't confuse it with the Museo Regional de Cholula, two blocks away.
Arriving in Huejotzingo
Convento de Huejotzingo
Founded by Franciscans in the 16th century, the former convent of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo shows colonial Plateresque architecture on the western slopes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1994.
More drives to Huejotzingo
- Cuautla to Huejotzingo
- Mexico City to Huejotzingo
- Pachuca to Huejotzingo
- Tepotzotlán to Huejotzingo
- Cuernavaca to Huejotzingo
- Actopan to Huejotzingo
From Cárdenas to other places in Mexico
- Cárdenas to Zacatelco
- Cárdenas to Chiautempan
- Cárdenas to Tlaxcala
- Cárdenas to Calpulalpan
- Cárdenas to Ocuituco
- Cárdenas to Zacatlán
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cárdenas to Huejotzingo?
About 6 h 15 min of driving without stops, over 383 miles.
How far is Huejotzingo from Cárdenas by car?
About 383 miles (617 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 Cárdenas to Huejotzingo?
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 Cárdenas to Huejotzingo?
The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Cárdenas to Huejotzingo?
In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D and MEX-150. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cárdenas to Huejotzingo?
Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 282, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (railway museum, mile 368, 1 mi from the route); Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula (museum, mile 373, 0.3 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.