The Wayro route from Mexico City to Cuautla is 63 miles (101 km), about 1 h 34 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 63 mi (101 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 1 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-150D → MEX-115 |
| Mexican states on the route | Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-150D, MEX-115D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 2.5 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.
What the drive from Mexico City to Cuautla is like
MEX-115 (28 mi) and MEX-150D (8 mi) carry about 57% of the 63 miles. MEX-150D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-115 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 3 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Cuautla, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–10 | 10 | Mexico City, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 10–11 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-150D | 11–19 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 19–35 | 16 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 35–50 | 15 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| MEX-115 | 50–62 | 12 | Morelos |
| local roads | 62–63 | 1 | Morelos |
- Mile 6 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 43 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Mexico City and Cuautla
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Cabeza de Juárez (mile 7), Jardín Botánico Medicinal De la Cruz-Badiano (mile 7), Museo Comunitario de San Miguel Teotongo (mile 11), Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (mile 31)
- Nature and outdoors: Jardín Botánico Medicinal De la Cruz-Badiano (mile 7), Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (mile 31), Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 34)
- Museums and history: Museo Cabeza de Juárez (mile 7), Museo Comunitario de San Miguel Teotongo (mile 11), Acozac (mile 19)
Museo Cabeza de Juárez
A colossal head of Benito Juárez, the 26th president of Mexico, crowns this museum and monument in Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough.
Jardín Botánico Medicinal De la Cruz-Badiano
UNAM's De la Cruz-Badiano medicinal botanical garden in Iztapalapa is one of Mexico's early gardens devoted to medicinal plants.
Museo Comunitario de San Miguel Teotongo
San Miguel Teotongo's community museum sits in the San Miguel Teotongo neighborhood of the Iztapalapa borough in Mexico City.
Acozac
Acozac is an archaeological site in the municipality of Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico, located at kilometer 30 of the federal Mexico City–Puebla road, heading toward Ixtapaluca.
Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad
Bosque de los Árboles de Navidad in Amecameca, State of Mexico, is a tourist park with a greenhouse, covering about 400 hectares.
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.
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.
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.
When you get to Cuautla
Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos"
In this 18th-century house in Cuautla, José María Morelos lived during the 1812 Siege of Cuautla. Its INAH galleries trace regional history through Morelos and Emiliano Zapata and display "El Niño," his first cannon, a gift from the Galeana family.
More drives to Cuautla
- Cuernavaca to Cuautla
- Toluca to Cuautla
- San Juan del Río to Cuautla
- Querétaro to Cuautla
- Morelia to Cuautla
- Celaya to Cuautla
From Mexico City to other places in Mexico
- Mexico City to Metepec
- Mexico City to Toluca
- Mexico City to Cuernavaca
- Mexico City to Atlatlahucan
- Mexico City to Malinalco
- Mexico City to Tonatico
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mexico City to Cuautla?
About 1 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 63 miles.
How far is Cuautla from Mexico City by car?
About 63 miles (101 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 Mexico City to Cuautla?
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 Mexico City to Cuautla?
The U.S. State Department rates Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Mexico City to Cuautla use?
In order: MEX-150D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Cuautla?
Closest to the road: Museo Cabeza de Juárez (museum, mile 7, 0.3 mi from the route); Jardín Botánico Medicinal De la Cruz-Badiano (botanical garden, mile 7, 0.7 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de San Miguel Teotongo (museum, mile 11, 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 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.