By road, Ixtenco and San José del Pacífico are about 294 miles (473 km) apart, or roughly 5 h 42 min of driving.
| Distance | 294 mi (473 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 42 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-140D → MEX-135D → MEX-190 → MEX-175 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala, Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-140D, MEX-150D, MEX-135D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.7 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.
Driving Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico: the shape of the trip
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-175 (62 mi) carry about 72% of the 294 miles. It runs through 3 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-140D, MEX-150D and MEX-135D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 2–8 | 6 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| local roads | 8–50 | 42 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 50–201 | 151 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 201–206 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 206–213 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 213–223 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 223–234 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 234–245 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 245–252 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 252–293 | 41 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 293–294 | 1 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 4 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 105 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Ixtenco and San José del Pacífico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Suchilquitongo (mile 190), Teatro Macedonio Alcalá (mile 209), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 216)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 93), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 201)
- Museums and history: Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 79), Suchilquitongo (mile 190), Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (mile 205), Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán (mile 208), Teatro Macedonio Alcalá (mile 209), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 216), Zaachila (mile 217)
Museo del Valle de Tehuacán
Tehuacán's 18th-century former Carmelite convent has housed the Valley of Tehuacán Museum since 2002. Exhibits trace the history of corn and its ties to the valley's early peoples.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
Cactus diversity reaches one of its peaks in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a dry landscape shared by Puebla and Oaxaca. Ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams show how people managed its scarce water.
Suchilquitongo
Tomb 5 at Cerro de la Campana, excavated in 1985, holds murals and stucco carvings ranked among the finest funerary art of ancient Mexico. The Zapotec site crowns a hill in the northern Etla Valley.
Benito Juárez National Park
Pine and oak forest covers about 2,737 hectares in Benito Juárez National Park, a short way north of Oaxaca City. Among its trails is La Coronilla, a loop of around 5 km at moderate difficulty.
Archaeological Zone of Atzompa
About 8 km west of Oaxaca City on Cerro del Bonete, in Santa María Atzompa, this archaeological site was a monumental complex that belonged to nearby Monte Albán.
Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán
The site museum of the Monte Albán archaeological zone in Oaxaca is located just outside the archaeological zone of Monte Albán itself.
Teatro Macedonio Alcalá
In the center of Oaxaca de Juárez, Teatro Macedonio Alcalá is a performance venue built in 1909 in the Art Nouveau style.
Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca
In San Bartolo Coyotepec, the town known for its black clay pottery (barro negro), this state-run museum traces the history of that craft and shows works by Oaxaca's folk art masters alongside temporary exhibitions.
Zaachila
Excavated tombs draw visitors to Zaachila, a former Zapotec city. The best known is Tomb 1, where stucco figures depict the people who were buried there.
More drives to San José del Pacífico
- Capulalpam de Méndez to San José del Pacífico
- Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico
- Tuxtepec to San José del Pacífico
- Orizaba to San José del Pacífico
- Córdoba, Mexico to San José del Pacífico
- Tlacotalpan to San José del Pacífico
From Ixtenco to other places in Mexico
- Ixtenco to Omitlán
- Ixtenco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Ixtenco to Tonatico
- Ixtenco to El Oro
- Ixtenco to Mineral de Pozos
- Ixtenco to Santa Fe de la Laguna
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico?
About 5 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 294 miles.
What is the driving distance from Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico?
About 294 miles (473 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 Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico?
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 Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico?
In order: MEX-140D, MEX-135D, MEX-190 and MEX-175. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Ixtenco to San José del Pacífico?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 190, 0.3 mi from the route); Teatro Macedonio Alcalá (opera house, mile 209, 0.8 mi from the route); Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (folk art museum, mile 216, 0.2 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.