By road, Oaxtepec and Real de Catorce are about 445 miles (716 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 26 min of driving.
| Total distance | 445 mi (716 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 26 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-160D → MEX-95D → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-49 → MEX-63 → SLP 43 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-57D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.8 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.
How the Oaxtepec to Real de Catorce drive plays out
MEX-57 (178 mi) and MEX-63 (74 mi) carry about 57% of the 445 miles. It runs through 7 states: Morelos, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-160D, MEX-95D and MEX-57D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Oaxtepec to Real de Catorce
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 1–17 | 16 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 17–46 | 29 | Morelos, Mexico City |
| local roads | 46–51 | 5 | Mexico City |
| Periférico | 51–80 | 29 | Mexico City, State of Mexico |
| MEX-57 | 80–151 | 71 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 151–203 | 52 | Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 203–204 | 1 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57 | 204–311 | 107 | Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí |
| connecting roads | 311–314 | 3 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-49 | 314–331 | 17 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-63 | 331–405 | 74 | San Luis Potosí |
| SLP 43 | 405–438 | 33 | San Luis Potosí |
| local roads | 438–445 | 7 | San Luis Potosí |
- Mile 33 of this route: Morelos → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 66 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 98 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 117 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 150 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 211 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 264 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
Stops between Oaxtepec and Real de Catorce
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): National Biodiversity Pavilion (mile 53), Centro Cultural Isidro Fabela (mile 58), Museo del Caracol (mile 64), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 104)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 290)
- Museums and history: Museo Dolores Olmedo (mile 47), National Biodiversity Pavilion (mile 53), Centro Cultural Isidro Fabela (mile 58), Chapultepec aqueduct (mile 64), Museo del Caracol (mile 64), Museo Leonora Carrington (mile 311)
Museo Dolores Olmedo
In Xochimilco, the Museo Dolores Olmedo is an art museum built around the collection of Mexican businesswoman Dolores Olmedo.
National Biodiversity Pavilion
Opened in 2021 at Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City, the National Biodiversity Pavilion is a museum about the variety of life found across Mexico.
Centro Cultural Isidro Fabela
Facing Plaza San Jacinto in San Ángel, the Casa del Risco houses the Centro Cultural Isidro Fabela, a museum opened in 1963 after Isidro Fabela and his wife donated the house.
Chapultepec aqueduct
The Chapultepec aqueduct was built to bring drinking water to Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Triple Alliance empire and the city now known as Mexico City.
Museo del Caracol
Set within Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, the Museo del Caracol is a museum devoted to history.
Templo y exconvento de San Francisco
The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Baroque churches and mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries line the streets of Querétaro's historic center, along with the city's landmark aqueduct.
El Gogorrón National Park
Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.
Museo Leonora Carrington
Inside the Centro de las Artes, a former state penitentiary, this museum shows Leonora Carrington's sculptures, engravings, drawings, jewelry and personal objects, including monumental bronzes of her fantastical creatures.
In Real de Catorce itself
High in the mountains of northern San Luis Potosí Real de Catorce is a former silver-mining town whose most prosperous era began in 1778. It joined the Pueblos Mágicos program in 2001, and its identity grew out of both its mining past and the culture of the Huichol (Wixárika) people.
- Túnel de Ogarrio: The Túnel de Ogarrio, the town's famous tunnel, is one of the landmarks SECTUR highlights for visitors to Real de Catorce. source
- Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción: The Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción is the parish church at the center of town life, and the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4 is its biggest celebration. source
- Museo Parroquial Padre José Robledo: The Museo Parroquial Padre José Robledo preserves pieces of the town's religious history. source
More drives to Real de Catorce
- Comfort, TX to Real de Catorce
- San Antonio, TX to Real de Catorce
- Boerne, TX to Real de Catorce
- San Marcos, TX to Real de Catorce
- McAllen, TX to Real de Catorce
- Bandera, TX to Real de Catorce
From Oaxtepec to other places in Mexico
- Oaxtepec to Tonatico
- Oaxtepec to Omitlán
- Oaxtepec to El Oro
- Oaxtepec to Huasca de Ocampo
- Oaxtepec to Tetela de Ocampo
- Oaxtepec to Metztitlán
Coming to Real de Catorce from the United States? Border crossings, permits and routes from U.S. cities: Driving to Real de Catorce, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Oaxtepec to Real de Catorce?
About 9 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 445 miles.
How far is Real de Catorce from Oaxtepec by car?
About 445 miles (716 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 Oaxtepec to Real de Catorce?
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 Oaxtepec to Real de Catorce?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Oaxtepec to Real de Catorce?
In order: MEX-160D, MEX-95D, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-49, MEX-63 and SLP 43. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Oaxtepec and Real de Catorce?
Closest to the road: National Biodiversity Pavilion (museum, mile 53, 0.7 mi from the route); Centro Cultural Isidro Fabela (museum, mile 58, 0.7 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 104, 0.5 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.