Plan on about 9 h 47 min of driving for the 541-mile (871 km) trip from Comalcalco to Ixcateopan, before any stops.
| Distance by road | 541 mi (871 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 47 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-187 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.6 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.
Driving Comalcalco to Ixcateopan: the shape of the trip
MEX-145D (142 mi) and MEX-150D (131 mi) carry about 50% of the 541 miles. It runs through 5 states: Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Comalcalco to Ixcateopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-187 | 0–24 | 24 | Tabasco |
| connecting roads | 24–25 | 1 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180 | 25–35 | 10 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180D | 35–68 | 33 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180 | 68–88 | 20 | Tabasco, Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 88–109 | 21 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 109–251 | 142 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 251–382 | 131 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 382–383 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 383–398 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 398–409 | 11 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 409–442 | 33 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 442–481 | 39 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 481–485 | 4 | Morelos |
| local roads | 485–493 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 493–511 | 18 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 511–513 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 513–519 | 6 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 519–541 | 22 | Guerrero |
- Mile 71 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 319 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 435 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 505 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
What to see on the way from Comalcalco to Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 306), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 520), William Spratling Museum (mile 520)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 306), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 508)
- Museums and history: La Venta (mile 68), Orizaba Cathedral (mile 298), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 388), Chalcatzingo (mile 443), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 520), William Spratling Museum (mile 520)
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.
Orizaba Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is the main Catholic church of Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz, and the seat of the Diocese of Orizaba.
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.
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.
Tonantzintla Observatory
The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco
Silver baron José de la Borda paid for Santa Prisca with the bonanza from his San Ignacio mine in Taxco, and the church was dedicated in 1759, the same year his nearby house on the plaza was finished.
William Spratling Museum
Taxco's archaeological museum grew from the collection of William Spratling, the American who revived the town's silver craft in the 1930s. It shows pre-Hispanic pieces, including Olmec and Mezcala-style works, plus a gallery on silversmithing.
When you get to Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
From Comalcalco to other places in Mexico
- Comalcalco to Huejotzingo
- Comalcalco to Tlaxco
- Comalcalco to Calpulalpan
- Comalcalco to Tetela del Volcán
- Comalcalco to Zacatlán
- Comalcalco to Otumba
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Comalcalco to Ixcateopan?
About 9 h 47 min of driving without stops, over 541 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Comalcalco by car?
About 541 miles (871 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 Comalcalco to Ixcateopan?
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 Comalcalco to Ixcateopan?
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; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Comalcalco to Ixcateopan?
In order: MEX-187, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Comalcalco and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 306, 0.5 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church, mile 520, 0.4 mi from the route); William Spratling Museum (museum, mile 520, 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.