By road, Orizaba and Huatulco are about 349 miles (562 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 50 min of driving.
| Distance | 349 mi (562 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 50 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-150 → MEX-135D → MEX-190 → MEX-175 → MEX-175D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-150D, MEX-135D, MEX-175D |
| 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.
The Orizaba–Huatulco drive in a few lines
MEX-135D (122 mi) and MEX-175D (64 mi) carry about 53% of the 349 miles. It runs through 3 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-150D, MEX-135D and MEX-175D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Orizaba and Huatulco
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150 | 6–40 | 34 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| local roads | 40–45 | 5 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 45–167 | 122 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 167–171 | 4 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 171–178 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 178–188 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 188–199 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 199–211 | 12 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 211–217 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 217–221 | 4 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175D | 221–285 | 64 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-200 | 285–346 | 61 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 346–349 | 3 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 20 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 72 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Orizaba and Huatulco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 42), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 181)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 58), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 166), Mermejita (mile 314), Huatulco National Park (mile 343)
- Museums and history: Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 42), Monte Albán (mile 173), Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán (mile 173), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 181), Zaachila (mile 182)
Museo del Valle de Tehuacán
Tehuacán's 18th-century former Carmelite convent has housed the Valley of Tehuacán Museum since 2002. Exhibits trace the history of corn and its ties to the valley's early peoples.
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.
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.
Monte Albán
Carved into a mountaintop above the Valley of Oaxaca, Monte Albán was a Zapotec capital for some 1,300 years; visitors walk a 300-meter ceremonial plaza lined with temples, a ball court, tombs and carved reliefs. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán
The site museum of the Monte Albán archaeological zone in Oaxaca is located just outside the archaeological zone of Monte Albán itself.
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.
Mermejita
On Oaxaca's central coast just west of Mazunte and San Agustinillo, Mermejita is a small beach village where newcomers have built simple houses from local materials.
Huatulco National Park
Also called Bahías de Huatulco National Park, this protected area in the Mexican state of Oaxaca was decreed a national park on July 24, 1998.
More drives to Huatulco
- Oaxaca to Huatulco
- Tehuacán to Huatulco
- Acapulco to Huatulco
- San Cristóbal de las Casas to Huatulco
- Chilpancingo to Huatulco
- Huamantla to Huatulco
From Orizaba to other places in Mexico
- Orizaba to Zacatelco
- Orizaba to Apizaco
- Orizaba to Chiautempan
- Orizaba to Huejotzingo
- Orizaba to Tlaxcala
- Orizaba to Calpulalpan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Orizaba to Huatulco?
About 6 h 50 min of driving without stops, over 349 miles.
How far is Huatulco from Orizaba by car?
About 349 miles (562 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 Orizaba to Huatulco?
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 Orizaba to Huatulco?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 Orizaba to Huatulco?
In order: MEX-150, MEX-135D, MEX-190, MEX-175, MEX-175D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Orizaba and Huatulco?
Closest to the road: Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (museum, mile 42, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán (museum, mile 173, 2 mi from the route); Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (folk art museum, mile 181, 0.1 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.