By road, Oaxaca and Metztitlán are about 346 miles (557 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 11 min of driving.
| Total distance | 346 mi (557 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 → HGO 37 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.8 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.
Driving Oaxaca to Metztitlán: the shape of the trip
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (69 mi) carry about 64% of the 346 miles. It runs through 5 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. 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 Metztitlán
| 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 | 158–227 | 69 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 227–228 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 228–273 | 45 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 273–277 | 4 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 277–293 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 293–296 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 296–312 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 312–316 | 4 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 316–331 | 15 | Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 331–332 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| HGO 37 | 332–346 | 14 | Hidalgo |
- 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)
What to see on the way from Oaxaca to Metztitlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (mile 315)
- Nature and outdoors: Benito Juárez National Park (mile 7), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 116), El Chico National Park (mile 301)
- Museums and history: Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 130), Casa del Mendrugo (mile 208), Cacaxtla (mile 222)
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.
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
Inside an 18th-century former Carmelite convent in Tehuacán, the Valley of Tehuacán Museum opened in 2002 and focuses on the history of corn and its ties to the valley's early peoples.
Casa del Mendrugo
Dating back to the early years of Puebla, founded in 1531, the Casa del Mendrugo is a historic house at 4 Sur 304 in the city's historic center.
Cacaxtla
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.
Ex monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo
The Templo y exconvento de San Francisco in Pachuca de Soto is mainly Baroque, with touches of Churrigueresque and Neoclassical style. Construction began in 1596 under Fray Francisco de Torantos, who chose the style of its facade and windows.
El Chico National Park
In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.
Templo y exconvento de San Agustín
Founded in 1536 and built between 1542 and 1562, the Augustinian church and former convent of San Agustín in Atotonilco el Grande has a Plateresque design and frescoes.
Once you reach Metztitlán
Los Reyes Magos monastery, Metztitlán
Augustinian friars built the fortress-like Santos Reyes convent in Metztitlán in the 16th century, enclosing its atrium with a wall, open chapels and an atrial cross; it stands inside the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve with wide canyon views.
More drives to Metztitlán
- Pachuca to Metztitlán
- Actopan to Metztitlán
- Tulancingo to Metztitlán
- Zimapán to Metztitlán
- Otumba to Metztitlán
- Calpulalpan to Metztitlán
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 Metztitlán?
About 6 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 346 miles.
How far is Metztitlán from Oaxaca by car?
About 346 miles (557 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 Metztitlán?
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 Metztitlán?
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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Oaxaca to Metztitlán?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 and HGO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Oaxaca and Metztitlán?
Closest to the road: Cacaxtla (archaeological site, mile 222, 2 mi from the route); Ex monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo (convent, mile 297, 1 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (convent, mile 315, 0.7 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.