By road, Oaxaca and Malinalco are about 336 miles (541 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 14 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 336 mi (541 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 14 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MOR 21 → MEX-185 → MEX-181 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.5 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.
On the road from Oaxaca to Malinalco
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (43 mi) carry about 58% of the 336 miles. It runs through 4 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D, MEX-150D and MEX-94D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Oaxaca and Malinalco
| 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-94D | 262–294 | 32 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 294–298 | 4 | Morelos |
| MOR 21 | 298–306 | 8 | Morelos |
| local roads | 306–327 | 21 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-185 | 327–332 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-181 | 332–336 | 4 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 107 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 254 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 324 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Oaxaca and Malinalco
- 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), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 207), Historic centre of Puebla (mile 217), Chalcatzingo (mile 262), Museo de sitio de Xochicalco (mile 311), Xochicalco (mile 311)
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
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.
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.
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.
Museo de sitio de Xochicalco
Next to the Xochicalco archaeological zone in Morelos, the site museum sits along the Xochicalco–Tetlama federal road.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Once you reach Malinalco
Malinalco
Carved straight into the hillside above Malinalco, the Cuauhcalli is a rock-cut temple at the heart of this archaeological zone. The Mexica took the Matlatzinca town around 1476 and used it to train and consecrate elite warriors.
Desierto del Carmen National Park
Declared a national park on October 10, 1942, Desierto del Carmen is a protected area in the municipality of Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico.
More drives to Malinalco
- Valle de Bravo to Malinalco
- Zitácuaro to Malinalco
- Tlalpujahua to Malinalco
- San Juan del Río to Malinalco
- Tequisquiapan to Malinalco
- Salvatierra to Malinalco
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 does it take to drive from Oaxaca to Malinalco?
About 6 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 336 miles.
How far is Malinalco from Oaxaca by car?
About 336 miles (541 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 Malinalco?
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 Malinalco?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Oaxaca to Malinalco?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MOR 21, MEX-185 and MEX-181. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Oaxaca and Malinalco?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 19, 0.4 mi from the route); Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 262, 2 mi from the route); Museo de sitio de Xochicalco (museum, mile 311, 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.