By road, Coatzacoalcos and Metztitlán are about 434 miles (699 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 33 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 434 mi (699 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 33 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-185 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 → HGO 37 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.4 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.
Driving Coatzacoalcos to Metztitlán: the shape of the trip
MEX-150D (158 mi) and MEX-145D (142 mi) carry about 69% of the 434 miles. It runs through 5 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Coatzacoalcos to Metztitlán
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | |
| MEX-185 | 2–12 | 10 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 12–13 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 13–16 | 3 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 16–158 | 142 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 158–316 | 158 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 316–362 | 46 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 362–365 | 3 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 365–382 | 17 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 382–385 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 385–400 | 15 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 400–404 | 4 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 404–419 | 15 | Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 419–420 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| HGO 37 | 420–434 | 14 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 227 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 321 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 344 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 351 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 363 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
Stops between Coatzacoalcos and Metztitlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 214), El Hiloche (mile 390)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 214), La Malinche National Park (mile 288), El Hiloche (mile 390), El Chico National Park (mile 390)
- Museums and history: Huatusco (mile 165), Museo Bello (mile 296), Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH (mile 385)
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.
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.
La Malinche National Park
Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.
Museo Bello
Puebla's Museo José Luis Bello y González shows the collection of industrialist José Luis Bello y González and his son: paintings, Talavera, featherwork, furniture, porcelain, ivory, glass and metalwork from America, Europe and Asia.
Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco
The Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco is a theater in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH
Inside the central building of the state university in downtown Pachuca, the UAEH Mineralogy Museum displays minerals and rocks and is one of the longest-running museums of its kind in Mexico.
El Hiloche
Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.
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.
When you get to Metztitlán
Los Reyes Magos monastery, Metztitlán
Augustinian friars built the fortress-like Santos Reyes convent in Metztitlán in the 16th century, enclosing its atrium with a wall, open chapels and an atrial cross; it stands inside the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve with wide canyon views.
More drives to Metztitlán
- Pachuca to Metztitlán
- Actopan to Metztitlán
- Tulancingo to Metztitlán
- Zimapán to Metztitlán
- Otumba to Metztitlán
- Calpulalpan to Metztitlán
From Coatzacoalcos to other places in Mexico
- Coatzacoalcos to Orizaba
- Coatzacoalcos to Cholula
- Coatzacoalcos to Zacatelco
- Coatzacoalcos to Huejotzingo
- Coatzacoalcos to Tlaxcala
- Coatzacoalcos to Atlixco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Coatzacoalcos to Metztitlán?
About 7 h 33 min of driving without stops, over 434 miles.
How far is Metztitlán from Coatzacoalcos by car?
About 434 miles (699 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 Coatzacoalcos to Metztitlán?
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 Coatzacoalcos to Metztitlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz 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.
What roads does the drive from Coatzacoalcos to Metztitlán use?
In order: MEX-185, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 and HGO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Coatzacoalcos and Metztitlán?
Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 214, 0.4 mi from the route); Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco (theater, mile 385, 1 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 390, 0.4 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.