The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Chiautempan is 118 miles (190 km), about 2 h 7 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 118 mi (190 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 7 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-119D → MEX-117D |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-119D, MEX-117D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.7 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.
What the drive from Cuernavaca to Chiautempan is like
PUE 438D (34 mi) and MEX-160D (21 mi) carry about 47% of the 118 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-119D, MEX-117D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-160, MEX-190 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuernavaca to Chiautempan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 4–9 | 5 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 9–30 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 30–47 | 17 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 47–81 | 34 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 81–92 | 11 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 92–102 | 10 | Puebla |
| MEX-119D | 102–113 | 11 | Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 113–116 | 3 | Tlaxcala |
| local roads | 116–118 | 2 | Tlaxcala |
- Mile 55 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 105 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
Stops between Cuernavaca and Chiautempan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 15)
- Nature and outdoors: El Tepozteco National Park (mile 14)
- Museums and history: Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 15), Chalcatzingo (mile 47), Cholula (mile 98), Casa del Caballero Águila (mile 98)
El Tepozteco National Park
Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.
Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum
Tepoztlán's Dominican monastery, built between 1555 and 1580, keeps original 16th-century murals in its cloister. Upstairs, the museum covers local daily life, faith, festivals and dances, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
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.
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.
Cholula
Cholula's Great Pyramid grew in successive construction phases around an adobe core. INAH repair work on its Pocito staircase after the 2017 earthquakes turned up broken pre-Hispanic braziers and a small limestone figure of the rain god Tláloc.
Casa del Caballero Águila
Facing the old pre-Hispanic plaza of San Pedro Cholula, the Casa del Caballero Águila is a colonial house built in the late 16th century.
When you get to Chiautempan
Basílica de Ocotlán
On Cerro de San Lorenzo near the city of Tlaxcala, the Basílica de Ocotlán is a standout of Mexican Churrigueresque Baroque, begun in 1670 and home to an ocote-wood image of the Virgin tied to a 1541 legend.
Tlaxcala Cathedral
Part of a 16th-century Franciscan complex among the earliest in the Americas, Tlaxcala's cathedral is famous for its carved Mudéjar-style wooden ceiling. Look for the freestanding bell tower and the stone font where Tlaxcalan lords were baptized.
Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia de Tlaxcala
Set in the cloisters of Tlaxcala's former Franciscan convent, founded in 1528, the regional museum (Museo Regional de Tlaxcala) traces the state from paleontology and pre-Hispanic cultures through the colonial era to the Revolution, with pottery, sculpture and paintings.
More drives to Chiautempan
- Atlixco to Chiautempan
- Cuautla to Chiautempan
- Toluca to Chiautempan
- Zitácuaro to Chiautempan
- Celaya to Chiautempan
- Morelia to Chiautempan
From Cuernavaca to other places in Mexico
- Cuernavaca to Valle de Bravo
- Cuernavaca to Zitácuaro
- Cuernavaca to El Oro
- Cuernavaca to Tlalpujahua
- Cuernavaca to San Juan del Río
- Cuernavaca to Amealco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Chiautempan?
About 2 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 118 miles.
How far is Chiautempan from Cuernavaca by car?
About 118 miles (190 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 Cuernavaca to Chiautempan?
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 Cuernavaca to Chiautempan?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cuernavaca to Chiautempan use?
In order: MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-160, PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-119D and MEX-117D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuernavaca and Chiautempan?
Closest to the road: El Tepozteco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (museum, mile 15, 0.6 mi from the route); Casa del Caballero Águila (museum, mile 98, 1 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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.