Cuernavaca to Córdoba Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Córdoba is 202 miles (325 km), about 3 h 29 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Veracruz is the Mexican state that contains Córdoba. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
El TepoztecoEl Tepozteco National ParkMonasteries on the slopes of PopocatépetlTemplo y Exconvento de San Mateo ApóstolChalcatzingoHistoric centre of PueblaCañón del Río Blanco National ParkTeatro LlaveVeracruz State Art MuseumCuernavacaCórdoba
Route from Cuernavaca to Córdoba with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance202 mi (325 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 29 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D
Mexican states on the routeMorelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-150D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 8.1 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.

What the drive from Cuernavaca to Córdoba is like

MEX-150D (92 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 62% of the 202 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-160, MEX-190 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Morelos, Puebla, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Cuernavaca to Córdoba, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Morelos
MEX-95D4–95Morelos
MEX-160D9–3021Morelos
MEX-16030–4717Morelos
PUE 438D47–8134Morelos, Puebla
MEX-190D81–9110Puebla
connecting roads91–921Puebla
MEX-19092–10715Puebla
MEX-150D107–19992Puebla, Veracruz
local roads199–2023Veracruz
  • Mile 55 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 165 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)

Stops between Cuernavaca and Córdoba

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 178)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Tepozteco National Park (mile 14), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 178)
  • Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 14), Chalcatzingo (mile 47), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 188)

El Tepozteco

Mile 14 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.

El Tepozteco National Park

Mile 14 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

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.

Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl

Mile 27 · World Heritage Site · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol

Mile 27 · Convent · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.

Chalcatzingo

Mile 47 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

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.

Historic centre of Puebla

Mile 92 · Urban area · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 178 · National Park of Mexico · 0.5 mi from the route

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.

Teatro Llave

Mile 186 · Theatre building · 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.

Veracruz State Art Museum

Mile 188 · 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.

When you get to Córdoba

Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz

Cathedral · in Córdoba

Built in the first half of the 17th century, Córdoba's Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the city's main church; look up to see its octagonal dome covered in tiles, finished in a neoclassical style.

Teatro Pedro Díaz

Theatre building · in Córdoba

In downtown Córdoba, the Teatro Pedro Díaz was built in the late 19th century by Pedro Díaz to a design by engineer A. Durán; its facade was remodeled in 1905.

More drives to Córdoba

From Cuernavaca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Córdoba?

About 3 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 202 miles.

How far is Córdoba from Cuernavaca by car?

About 202 miles (325 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 Córdoba?

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 Córdoba?

The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz 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 Córdoba use?

In order: MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-160, PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190 and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Cuernavaca and Córdoba?

Closest to the road: El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); El Tepozteco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 178, 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 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.