By road, Oaxaca and Otumba are about 277 miles (445 km) apart, or roughly 4 h 28 min of driving.
| Total distance | 277 mi (445 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 4 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D |
| 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 11.1 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.
What the drive from Oaxaca to Otumba is like
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (69 mi) carry about 79% of the 277 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.
Road-by-road breakdown: Oaxaca to Otumba
| 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 | 228–266 | 38 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 266–277 | 11 | State of Mexico |
- 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)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Oaxaca and Otumba
- 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), Museo del Ejercito, Puebla (mile 208), Cacaxtla (mile 222), Xochitecatl (mile 223)
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
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
Cactus diversity reaches one of its peaks in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a dry landscape shared by Puebla and Oaxaca. Ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams show how people managed its scarce water.
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.
Museo del Ejercito, Puebla
On 4 Poniente in Puebla's historic center, beside the old Belén hospital church, this museum and library honors General Ignacio Zaragoza, the Battle of Puebla and the history of the Mexican Army.
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.
Xochitecatl
Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
Running more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba, Padre Tembleque's 16th-century water system has been on UNESCO's list since 2015. The friar built it from 1554 to 1572.
In Otumba itself
Pyramid of the Sun
Rising along the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, the Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, believed to date to about AD 200.
Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba
The Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba is a museum in the town of Otumba de Gómez Farías devoted, as its name says, to the railroad.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
More drives to Otumba
- Mexico City to Otumba
- Tepotzotlán to Otumba
- Toluca to Otumba
- Metepec to Otumba
- Jilotepec to Otumba
- Cuernavaca to Otumba
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 Otumba?
About 4 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 277 miles.
How far is Otumba from Oaxaca by car?
About 277 miles (445 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 Otumba?
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 Otumba?
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.
What roads does the drive from Oaxaca to Otumba use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Oaxaca to Otumba?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 19, 0.4 mi from the route); Cacaxtla (archaeological site, mile 222, 2 mi from the route); Xochitecatl (archaeological site, mile 223, 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.