Plan on about 3 h 34 min of driving for the 217-mile (350 km) trip from Oaxaca to Cholula, before any stops.
| Total distance | 217 mi (350 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 3 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
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.
On the road from Oaxaca to Cholula
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (49 mi) carry about 92% of the 217 miles. It runs through 2 states: Oaxaca, Puebla. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D and MEX-150D. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Oaxaca to Cholula
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 2–7 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-135D | 7–158 | 151 | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 158–207 | 49 | Puebla |
| local roads | 207–217 | 10 | Puebla |
- Mile 107 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
What to see on the way from Oaxaca to Cholula
- 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), La Malinche National Park (mile 199)
- Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 19), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 130), Fort Guadalupe (mile 206)
Benito Juárez National Park
Just north of Oaxaca City, Benito Juárez National Park covers about 2,737 hectares of pine and oak forest. Trails wind through the woods, including La Coronilla, a moderate loop of roughly 5 km.
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.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
In 2018 UNESCO inscribed the arid Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, which spans Puebla and Oaxaca, as a mixed World Heritage site. A major center of cactus diversity, it also keeps ancient canals, terraces and dams.
Museo del Valle de Tehuacán
The history of corn and how it connects to the valley's early peoples is the focus of the Valley of Tehuacán Museum, which opened in 2002 in a former Carmelite convent.
La Malinche National Park
Hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center draw visitors to La Malinche National Park in Tlaxcala.
Fort Guadalupe
Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.
In Cholula itself
Great Pyramid of Cholula
Under a hilltop church dedicated to the Virgin of los Remedios lies Tlachihualtepetl, a pyramid built in superimposed stages with a base about 400 meters per side. Excavations have opened roughly 8 km of tunnels inside the mound.
Cholula
Cholula's Great Pyramid grew in successive construction phases around an adobe core. INAH repair work on its Pocito staircase after the 2017 earthquakes turned up broken pre-Hispanic braziers and a small limestone figure of the rain god Tláloc.
Casa del Caballero Águila
Facing the old pre-Hispanic plaza of San Pedro Cholula, the Casa del Caballero Águila is a colonial house built in the late 16th century.
More drives to Cholula
- Mexico City to Cholula
- Toluca to Cholula
- San Juan del Río to Cholula
- Salamanca to Cholula
- Morelia to Cholula
- León to Cholula
From Oaxaca to other places in Mexico
- Oaxaca to Orizaba
- Oaxaca to Córdoba, Mexico
- Oaxaca to Zacatelco
- Oaxaca to Chiautempan
- Oaxaca to Apizaco
- Oaxaca to Huejotzingo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Oaxaca to Cholula?
About 3 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 217 miles.
How far is Cholula from Oaxaca by car?
About 217 miles (350 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 Cholula?
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 Cholula?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla 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 Cholula use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Oaxaca and Cholula?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 19, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (museum, mile 130, 3 mi from the route); Fort Guadalupe (fort, mile 206, 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.