Comalcalco to Otumba Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 12 October, 2026

Comalcalco to Otumba is about 457 road miles (736 km): roughly 7 h 36 min at the wheel if you don't stop.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tabasco — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; 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 CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. State of Mexico is the Mexican state that contains Otumba. See the full advisory for current details.
La VentaVeracruz State Art MuseumTeatro LlaveCañón del Río Blanco National ParkCasa del DeánMuseo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles MexicanosCacaxtlaXochitecatlExconvent of Santa María MagdalenaComalcalcoOtumba
Route from Comalcalco to Otumba with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance by road457 mi (736 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops7 h 36 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-187 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D
Mexican states on the routeTabasco, 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 18.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 insuranceRequired 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 Comalcalco to Otumba

MEX-150D (157 mi) and MEX-145D (142 mi) carry about 65% of the 457 miles. It runs through 6 states: Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

Road-by-road breakdown: Comalcalco to Otumba

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-1870–2424Tabasco
connecting roads24–251Tabasco
MEX-18025–3510Tabasco
MEX-180D35–6833Tabasco
MEX-18068–8820Tabasco, Veracruz
MEX-180D88–10921Veracruz
MEX-145D109–251142Veracruz
MEX-150D251–408157Veracruz, Puebla
connecting roads408–4091Puebla
MEX-M40D409–44738Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
local roads447–45710State of Mexico
  • Mile 71 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
  • Mile 319 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 413 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 436 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 444 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)

What to see on the way from Comalcalco to Otumba

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 306)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 306)
  • Museums and history: La Venta (mile 68), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 296), Casa del Deán (mile 388), Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (mile 389), Cacaxtla (mile 403), Xochitecatl (mile 404)

La Venta

Mile 68 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

La Venta was an important city of the Olmec civilization, in Tabasco near Huimanguillo. Its site museum displays more than 200 artifacts, including monumental sandstone sculptures found at the foot of the main pyramid.

Veracruz State Art Museum

Mile 296 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

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.

Teatro Llave

Mile 298 · Theater · 1 mi from the route

In central Orizaba, the Gran Teatro Ignacio de la Llave hosts artistic and cultural performances, and its exhibition room shows temporary collections, mostly by artists from the surrounding valley.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 306 · National park · 0.5 mi from the route

Veracruz is home to Cañón del Río Blanco National Park, a natural area that the Mexican government has set aside for protection.

Casa del Deán

Mile 388 · Historic house museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built in 1563 for Tomás de la Plaza y Goes, dean of Puebla Cathedral, the Casa del Deán is a historic house in Puebla that takes its name from his post.

Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos

Mile 389 · Railway museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Cacaxtla

Mile 403 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.

Xochitecatl

Mile 404 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.

Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena

Mile 409 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

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.

Arriving in Otumba

Pyramid of the Sun

Temple · about 6 mi from Otumba

Rising along the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, the Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, believed to date to about AD 200.

Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba

Museum · in Otumba

The Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba is a museum in the town of Otumba de Gómez Farías devoted, as its name says, to the railroad.

Teotihuacan

Historic site · about 6 mi from Otumba

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

More drives to Otumba

From Comalcalco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Comalcalco to Otumba?

About 7 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 457 miles.

What is the driving distance from Comalcalco to Otumba?

About 457 miles (736 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 Otumba?

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 Otumba?

The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 Comalcalco to Otumba use?

In order: MEX-187, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Comalcalco and Otumba?

Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 296, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Llave (theater, mile 298, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 306, 0.5 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.