The Wayro route from Oaxaca to Cuautla is 277 miles (446 km), about 4 h 40 min of driving without stops.
| Total distance | 277 mi (446 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 4 h 40 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → PUE 438D → MEX-160 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.1 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 Oaxaca to Cuautla: the shape of the trip
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (43 mi) carry about 70% of the 277 miles. It runs through 3 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Oaxaca to Cuautla: the road sequence
| 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 | 158–201 | 43 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 201–202 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 202–217 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 217–228 | 11 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 228–262 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 262–275 | 13 | Morelos |
| local roads | 275–277 | 2 | Morelos |
- Mile 107 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 254 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Places worth a stop between Oaxaca and Cuautla
- 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), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 213)
- Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 19), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 130), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 207), Historic centre of Puebla (mile 217), Chalcatzingo (mile 262), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 263)
Benito Juárez National Park
Hikers heading just north of Oaxaca City reach Benito Juárez National Park, where trails cross roughly 2,737 hectares of pine and oak. La Coronilla, a moderate loop, runs about 5 km.
Suchilquitongo
From around 300 to 800 AD, a Zapotec city thrived on a hilltop in the northern Etla Valley. Locals know the site as Cerro de la Campana.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
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
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.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
On the Ciudad Universitaria campus of BUAP in Puebla, the university botanical garden covers about 10.7 hectares and was formerly named after Ignacio Rodríguez Alconedo.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Arriving in 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 Oaxaca to other places in Mexico
- Oaxaca to Orizaba
- Oaxaca to Córdoba, Mexico
- Oaxaca to Cholula
- Oaxaca to Zacatelco
- Oaxaca to Chiautempan
- Oaxaca to Apizaco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Oaxaca to Cuautla?
About 4 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 277 miles.
What is the driving distance from Oaxaca to Cuautla?
About 277 miles (446 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 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 Oaxaca to Cuautla?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Oaxaca to Cuautla?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, PUE 438D and MEX-160. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Oaxaca to Cuautla?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 19, 0.4 mi from the route); Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (botanical garden, mile 213, 2 mi from the route); Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 262, 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.