The Wayro route from Cárdenas to Ocuituco is 421 miles (678 km), about 7 h 8 min of driving without stops.
| Total distance | 421 mi (678 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Cárdenas to Ocuituco
MEX-145D (142 mi) and MEX-150D (131 mi) carry about 65% of the 421 miles. It runs through 4 states: Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Cárdenas to Ocuituco: 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 | 227–358 | 131 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 358–359 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 359–373 | 14 | Puebla |
| local roads | 373–385 | 12 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 385–406 | 21 | Puebla |
| local roads | 406–421 | 15 | Puebla, Morelos |
- Mile 47 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 295 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 411 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Places worth a stop between Cárdenas and Ocuituco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 282), Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 413)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 282), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 369)
- Museums and history: La Venta (mile 44), Huatusco (mile 234), Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (mile 260), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 272), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 364), International Museum of the Baroque (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
Getting to the ruins of Huatusco (Cuauhtochco) means crossing a suspension bridge and hiking a steep trail; a local guide is a good idea, and there are no visitor facilities. The Mexica-era temple keeps its original finishes.
Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz
An octagonal dome covered in tiles crowns Córdoba's Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the city's main church, finished in a neoclassical style.
Veracruz State Art Museum
Housed in Orizaba's 18th-century former Oratorio of San Felipe Neri, later a hospital and then a jail, the Veracruz State Art Museum (Museo de Arte del Estado) holds more than 700 works, including 36 by Diego Rivera.
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park
Protected as a national park by Mexico's government, Cañón del Río Blanco is a natural area in Veracruz state.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
On the Ciudad Universitaria campus of BUAP in Puebla, the university botanical garden covers about 10.7 hectares and was formerly named after Ignacio Rodríguez Alconedo.
International Museum of the Baroque
Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
When you get to Ocuituco
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
More drives to Ocuituco
- Tepoztlán to Ocuituco
- Cuernavaca to Ocuituco
- Mexico City to Ocuituco
- Zacatelco to Ocuituco
- Tlaxcala to Ocuituco
- Chiautempan to Ocuituco
From Cárdenas to other places in Mexico
- Cárdenas to Zacatelco
- Cárdenas to Chiautempan
- Cárdenas to Huejotzingo
- Cárdenas to Tlaxcala
- Cárdenas to Calpulalpan
- Cárdenas to Zacatlán
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cárdenas to Ocuituco?
About 7 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 421 miles.
What is the driving distance from Cárdenas to Ocuituco?
About 421 miles (678 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 Ocuituco?
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 Ocuituco?
The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cárdenas to Ocuituco use?
In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-190 and PUE 438D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cárdenas and Ocuituco?
Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 272, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 282, 0.5 mi from the route); Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 413, 0.2 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.