Oaxaca to Amealco Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Oaxaca to Amealco is 388 miles (625 km), about 6 h 11 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Oaxaca — 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; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Querétaro is the Mexican state that contains Amealco. See the full advisory for current details.
Benito Juárez National ParkSuchilquitongoTehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere ReserveMuseo del Valle de TehuacánCapilla del ArteCacaxtlaAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTulaOaxacaAmealco
Route from Oaxaca to Amealco with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance388 mi (625 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops6 h 11 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → QRO 300
Mexican states on the routeOaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 15.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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.

Driving Oaxaca to Amealco: the shape of the trip

MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-M40D (106 mi) carry about 66% of the 388 miles. It runs through 6 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

Which roads connect Oaxaca and Amealco

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Oaxaca
MEX-1902–75Oaxaca
MEX-135D7–158151Oaxaca, Puebla
MEX-150D158–22769Puebla
connecting roads227–2281Puebla
MEX-M40D228–334106Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-57D334–37036Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D370–3799Querétaro
connecting roads379–3801Querétaro
QRO 300380–3888Querétaro
  • Mile 107 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 232 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 255 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 263 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 275 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 292 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 306 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 335 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 368 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)

Where to stop on the way to Amealco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Suchilquitongo (mile 19)
  • Nature and outdoors: Benito Juárez National Park (mile 7), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 116)
  • Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 19), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 130), Capilla del Arte (mile 208), Cacaxtla (mile 222), Tula (mile 322)

Benito Juárez National Park

Mile 7 · National park · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Suchilquitongo

Mile 19 · Archaeological site · 0.4 mi from the route

Locals call this Zapotec hilltop city Cerro de la Campana; it flourished between about 300 and 800 AD in the northern Etla Valley. Tomb 5, excavated in 1985, holds murals and stucco carvings counted among ancient Mexico's finest funerary art.

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve

Mile 116 · Biosphere reserve · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This arid valley straddling Puebla and Oaxaca joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2018 as a mixed site. It is a major center of cactus diversity and preserves ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams built to manage scarce water.

Museo del Valle de Tehuacán

Mile 130 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Capilla del Arte

Mile 208 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Capilla del Arte is a cultural space of the Universidad de las Américas Puebla in the old Las Fábricas de Francia building, with a contemporary art gallery and a reading nook.

Cacaxtla

Mile 222 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 272 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Running more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba, Padre Tembleque's 16th-century water system has been on UNESCO's list since 2015. The friar built it from 1554 to 1572.

Tula

Mile 322 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

More drives to Amealco

From Oaxaca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Oaxaca to Amealco?

About 6 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 388 miles.

How far is Amealco from Oaxaca by car?

About 388 miles (625 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 Oaxaca to Amealco?

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 Oaxaca to Amealco?

The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca 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; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Oaxaca to Amealco use?

In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D and QRO 300. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Oaxaca to Amealco?

Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 19, 0.4 mi from the route); Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 272, 2 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 322, 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 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.