Orizaba to Tepatitlán Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Orizaba to Tepatitlán is 482 miles (776 km), about 7 h 38 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — 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; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Tepatitlán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Cañón del Río Blanco National ParkMuseo Poblano de Arte VirreinalCacaxtlaXochitecatlExconvent of Santa María MagdalenaJorge R. Acosta MuseumCerro de las CampanasCathedral Basilica of San Juan de los LagosOrizabaTepatitlán
Route from Orizaba to Tepatitlán with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance482 mi (776 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 38 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-80 → MEX-80D
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-80D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 19.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 insuranceRequired 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 Orizaba to Tepatitlán is like

MEX-45D (114 mi) and MEX-150D (108 mi) carry about 46% of the 482 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-80D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-80 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 8 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Orizaba to Tepatitlán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33Veracruz
MEX-150D3–111108Veracruz, Puebla
connecting roads111–1121Puebla
MEX-M40D112–217105Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads217–2192Hidalgo
MEX-57D219–25435State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D254–30753Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D307–421114Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-80421–43514Jalisco
MEX-80D435–47540Jalisco
connecting roads475–4761Jalisco
MEX-80476–4815Jalisco
local roads481–4821Jalisco
  • Mile 23 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 116 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 139 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 147 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 160 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 176 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 190 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 219 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 252 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 294 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 404 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)

Stops between Orizaba and Tepatitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 9)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 9), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 295)
  • Museums and history: Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal (mile 91), Cacaxtla (mile 107), Xochitecatl (mile 107), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 207), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 441)

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 9 · National Park of Mexico · 0.6 mi from the route

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.

Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal

Mile 91 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Puebla's San Pedro Museo de Arte, formerly the Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal, opened in 2000 and focuses on New Spanish painting, with galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Cacaxtla

Mile 107 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 107 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

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.

Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena

Mile 112 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The former convent of Santa María Magdalena (Exconvento de Santa María Magdalena) is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Dieguino friars, still in use as a Catholic temple of the Archdiocese of Puebla.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 207 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Next to the Tula ruins, the Museo de Sitio Jorge R. Acosta traces the rise and decline of the Toltecs and their city, Tollan Xicocotitlan. It moved into new facilities in 1982 and covers nearly 20 years of digs led by archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 295 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos

Mile 441 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.

More drives to Tepatitlán

From Orizaba to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Orizaba to Tepatitlán?

About 7 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 482 miles.

How far is Tepatitlán from Orizaba by car?

About 482 miles (776 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 Tepatitlán?

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 Tepatitlán?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz 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; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Orizaba to Tepatitlán use?

In order: MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-80 and MEX-80D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Orizaba and Tepatitlán?

Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena (convent, mile 112, 1 mi from the route); Jorge R. Acosta Museum (museum, mile 207, 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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.