By road, Ixtepec and Otumba are about 447 miles (719 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 40 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 447 mi (719 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 40 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-185D → MEX-185 → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-185D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.9 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.
The Ixtepec–Otumba drive in a few lines
MEX-150D (157 mi) and MEX-145D (118 mi) carry about 62% of the 447 miles. It runs through 6 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-185D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Ixtepec to Otumba
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185D | 2–16 | 14 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 16–17 | 1 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185 | 17–39 | 22 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 39–44 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185 | 44–61 | 17 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 61–64 | 3 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185 | 64–122 | 58 | Oaxaca, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 122–123 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 123–241 | 118 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 241–398 | 157 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 398–437 | 39 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 437–447 | 10 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 81 of this route: Oaxaca → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 309 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 403 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 426 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 433 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Otumba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 296), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 381)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 296)
- Museums and history: Huatusco (mile 248), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 286), Fort Guadalupe (mile 377), Museo del Ejercito, Puebla (mile 378), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 381), Cacaxtla (mile 393), Xochitecatl (mile 393)
Huatusco
Getting to the ruins of Huatusco (Cuauhtochco) means crossing a suspension bridge and hiking a steep trail; a local guide is a good idea, and there are no visitor facilities. The Mexica-era temple keeps its original finishes.
Veracruz State Art Museum
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.
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.
Fort Guadalupe
Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.
Museo del Ejercito, Puebla
On 4 Poniente in Puebla's historic center, beside the old Belén hospital church, this museum and library honors General Ignacio Zaragoza, the Battle of Puebla and the history of the Mexican Army.
La Constancia Mexicana
A textile factory founded in 1835 in Puebla now houses the La Constancia museum complex, with a children's museum, a puppet house, a Mexican music museum, an automobile museum and a park of miniature world monuments.
Cacaxtla
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
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
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.
Once you reach Otumba
Pyramid of the Sun
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
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
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
- Mexico City to Otumba
- Tepotzotlán to Otumba
- Toluca to Otumba
- Metepec to Otumba
- Jilotepec to Otumba
- Cuernavaca to Otumba
From Ixtepec to other places in Mexico
- Ixtepec to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Ixtepec to San Miguel, Morelos
- Ixtepec to Tetela del Volcán
- Ixtepec to Atlatlahucan
- Ixtepec to Tepoztlán
- Ixtepec to Omitlán
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Ixtepec to Otumba?
About 7 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 447 miles.
How far is Otumba from Ixtepec by car?
About 447 miles (719 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 Ixtepec 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 Ixtepec to Otumba?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca 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 Ixtepec to Otumba use?
In order: MEX-185D, MEX-185, MEX-145D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Ixtepec to Otumba?
Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 286, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 296, 0.5 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 381, 0.4 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.