By road, Cuautla and Palizada are about 550 miles (885 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 27 min of driving.
| Total distance | 550 mi (885 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 27 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-145D → MEX-180D → MEX-180 → MEX-186 → MEX-217 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-145D, MEX-180D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.0 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.
On the road from Cuautla to Palizada
MEX-150D (125 mi) and MEX-180 (59 mi) carry about 33% of the 550 miles. It runs through 5 states: Morelos, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-190D, MEX-150D and MEX-145D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Cuautla to Palizada
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 1–16 | 15 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 16–50 | 34 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 50–60 | 10 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 60–61 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 61–75 | 14 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 75–76 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 76–201 | 125 | Puebla, Veracruz |
| local roads | 201–312 | 111 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 312–344 | 32 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 344–364 | 20 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180 | 364–383 | 19 | Veracruz, Tabasco |
| MEX-180D | 383–416 | 33 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180 | 416–456 | 40 | Tabasco |
| local roads | 456–460 | 4 | Tabasco |
| MEX-186 | 460–479 | 19 | Tabasco |
| local roads | 479–537 | 58 | Tabasco |
| MEX-217 | 537–549 | 12 | Tabasco, Campeche |
| local roads | 549–550 | 1 | Campeche |
- Mile 24 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 134 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 382 of this route: Veracruz → Tabasco (state line)
- Mile 539 of this route: Tabasco → Campeche (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Cuautla and Palizada
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 146), Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 459)
- Nature and outdoors: Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 65), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 146)
- Museums and history: Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 14), Chalcatzingo (mile 16), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 71), Huatusco (mile 194), La Venta (mile 384), Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 459)
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
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.
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.
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.
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.
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.
La Venta
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.
Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos
The Museo de Historia de Tabasco, housed in the Casa de los Azulejos, is a history museum in the historic center of Villahermosa, Tabasco.
More drives to Palizada
- Ocosingo to Palizada
- Coatzacoalcos to Palizada
- Tuxtepec to Palizada
- Córdoba, Mexico to Palizada
- Veracruz to Palizada
- Tehuacán to Palizada
From Cuautla to other places in Mexico
- Cuautla to Malinalco
- Cuautla to Metepec
- Cuautla to Zitácuaro
- Cuautla to Tlalpujahua
- Cuautla to Amealco
- Cuautla to Tequisquiapan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cuautla to Palizada?
About 10 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 550 miles.
How far is Palizada from Cuautla by car?
About 550 miles (885 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 Cuautla to Palizada?
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 Cuautla to Palizada?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Cuautla to Palizada?
In order: MEX-160, PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-145D, MEX-180D, MEX-180, MEX-186 and MEX-217. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cuautla to Palizada?
Closest to the road: Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 16, 2 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 146, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (museum, mile 459, 0.7 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.