The Wayro route from Oaxaca to Tlayacapan is 288 miles (464 km), about 4 h 57 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 288 mi (464 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 4 h 57 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → PUE 438D → MEX-160 → MEX-160D |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D, MEX-150D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.5 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.
The Oaxaca–Tlayacapan drive in a few lines
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (43 mi) carry about 67% of the 288 miles. It runs through 3 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D, MEX-150D and MEX-160D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Oaxaca and Tlayacapan
| 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 | 262–278 | 16 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 278–283 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 283–288 | 5 | Morelos |
- Mile 107 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 254 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Oaxaca and Tlayacapan
- 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), La Malinche National Park (mile 199)
- Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 19), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 130), Historic centre of Puebla (mile 217), Chalcatzingo (mile 262), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 263)
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
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
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
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.
La Malinche National Park
Pine, oak and fir forests cover the slopes of the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, the centerpiece of La Malinche National Park in Tlaxcala.
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.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla
The 16th-century church and former monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla belongs to the Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 as early missionary architecture with large open courtyards.
In Tlayacapan itself
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
More drives to Tlayacapan
- Atlixco to Tlayacapan
- Otumba to Tlayacapan
- Calpulalpan to Tlayacapan
- Metepec to Tlayacapan
- Toluca to Tlayacapan
- Puebla to Tlayacapan
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 Tlayacapan?
About 4 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 288 miles.
How far is Tlayacapan from Oaxaca by car?
About 288 miles (464 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 Tlayacapan?
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 Tlayacapan?
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.
What roads does the drive from Oaxaca to Tlayacapan use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D, PUE 438D, MEX-160 and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Oaxaca and Tlayacapan?
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); Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 263, 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.