By road, Oaxaca and Orizaba are about 174 miles (280 km) apart, or roughly 3 h 14 min of driving.
| Total distance | 174 mi (280 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 3 h 14 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
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 Orizaba
MEX-135D (122 mi) and MEX-150 (34 mi) carry about 90% of the 174 miles. It runs through 3 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D and MEX-150D. Of the 5 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Oaxaca to Orizaba: 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 | 7–129 | 122 | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 129–130 | 1 | Puebla |
| local roads | 130–134 | 4 | Puebla |
| MEX-150 | 134–168 | 34 | Puebla, Veracruz |
| local roads | 168–174 | 6 | Veracruz |
- Mile 107 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 155 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Places worth a stop between Oaxaca and Orizaba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Suchilquitongo (mile 19), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 132)
- Nature and outdoors: Benito Juárez National Park (mile 7), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 116), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 165)
- Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 19), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 132)
Benito Juárez National Park
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
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
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
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.
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park
Protected as a national park by Mexico's government, Cañón del Río Blanco is a natural area in Veracruz state.
When you get to Orizaba
Orizaba Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is the main Catholic church of Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz, and the seat of the Diocese of Orizaba.
Teatro Llave
In central Orizaba, the Gran Teatro Ignacio de la Llave hosts artistic and cultural performances, and its exhibition room shows temporary collections, mostly by artists from the surrounding valley.
Veracruz State Art Museum
Housed in Orizaba's 18th-century former Oratorio of San Felipe Neri, later a hospital and then a jail, the Veracruz State Art Museum (Museo de Arte del Estado) holds more than 700 works, including 36 by Diego Rivera.
More drives to Orizaba
- Cholula to Orizaba
- Mexico City to Orizaba
- Pachuca to Orizaba
- Cuernavaca to Orizaba
- Toluca to Orizaba
- Papantla to Orizaba
From Oaxaca to other places in Mexico
- Oaxaca to Córdoba, Mexico
- Oaxaca to Cholula
- 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 Orizaba?
About 3 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 174 miles.
How far is Orizaba from Oaxaca by car?
About 174 miles (280 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 Orizaba?
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 Orizaba?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz 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 Orizaba use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D and MEX-150. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Oaxaca and Orizaba?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 19, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (museum, mile 132, 0.2 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 165, 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.