The Wayro route from Ocuituco to San José del Pacífico is 350 miles (563 km), about 6 h 49 min of driving without stops.
| Distance by road | 350 mi (563 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-135D → MEX-175 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-135D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.0 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.
Driving Ocuituco to San José del Pacífico: the shape of the trip
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-175 (64 mi) carry about 61% of the 350 miles. It runs through 3 states: Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-190D, MEX-150D and MEX-135D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Ocuituco and San José del Pacífico
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–16 | 16 | Morelos, Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 16–37 | 21 | Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 37–47 | 10 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 47–48 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 48–63 | 15 | Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 63–106 | 43 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 106–257 | 151 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 257–263 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 263–268 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 268–279 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 279–290 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 290–301 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 301–308 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 308–350 | 42 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 11 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 160 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Places worth a stop between Ocuituco and San José del Pacífico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 8), Suchilquitongo (mile 245), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (mile 265), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 272)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 149), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 257)
- Museums and history: Historic centre of Puebla (mile 48), Suchilquitongo (mile 245), Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (mile 262), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (mile 265), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 272), Zaachila (mile 273)
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Archaeological Zone of Atzompa
About 8 km west of Oaxaca City on Cerro del Bonete, in Santa María Atzompa, this archaeological site was a monumental complex that belonged to nearby Monte Albán.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca
Founded on February 28, 1992, by a civic association with state government backing and support from the National Institute of Fine Arts, this museum grew from an initiative by artists including Francisco Toledo and Rodolfo Morales.
Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca
In San Bartolo Coyotepec, the town known for its black clay pottery (barro negro), this state-run museum traces the history of that craft and shows works by Oaxaca's folk art masters alongside temporary exhibitions.
Zaachila
Zaachila was a Zapotec city, later shared with Mixtecs, that was still inhabited when the Spanish arrived; its occupation reaches back to about 1500 BC. Visitors come for its excavated tombs, including Tomb 1 with stucco figures of those buried there.
More drives to San José del Pacífico
- Capulalpam de Méndez to San José del Pacífico
- Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico
- Tuxtepec to San José del Pacífico
- Orizaba to San José del Pacífico
- Córdoba, Mexico to San José del Pacífico
- Tlacotalpan to San José del Pacífico
From Ocuituco to other places in Mexico
- Ocuituco to Omitlán
- Ocuituco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Ocuituco to Metztitlán
- Ocuituco to Bernal
- Ocuituco to Mineral de Pozos
- Ocuituco to Ihuatzio
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ocuituco to San José del Pacífico?
About 6 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 350 miles.
How far is San José del Pacífico from Ocuituco by car?
About 350 miles (563 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 Ocuituco to San José del Pacífico?
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 Ocuituco to San José del Pacífico?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Ocuituco to San José del Pacífico?
In order: PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-135D and MEX-175. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Ocuituco and San José del Pacífico?
Closest to the road: Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 8, 0.2 mi from the route); Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 245, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (folk art museum, mile 272, 0.3 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.