Puebla to Tecomán Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Puebla to Tecomán is 516 miles (831 km), about 9 h 21 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: 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; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Colima is the Mexican state that contains Tecomán. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Parque nacional XicoténcatlCacaxtlaTeotihuacanTulaJorge R. Acosta MuseumTeatro Morelos de MaravatíoVolcán Nevado de Colima National ParkMuseo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa PomarCathedral Basilica of ColimaPueblaTecomán
Route from Puebla to Tecomán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance516 mi (831 km)
Driving time, no stops9 h 21 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-110 → MEX-15 → MEX-54 → MEX-54D
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 20.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Puebla to Tecomán is like

MEX-15D (188 mi) and MEX-M40D (140 mi) carry about 64% of the 516 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-110, MEX-15, MEX-54 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Puebla to Tecomán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Puebla
MEX-150D4–2218Puebla
MEX-M40D22–162140Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-15D162–350188State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco
connecting roads350–3555Jalisco
MEX-110355–37318Michoacán
MEX-15373–3796Michoacán
connecting roads379–3812Michoacán
MEX-110381–44665Michoacán, Jalisco
MEX-54446–4559Jalisco
connecting roads455–4583Jalisco
MEX-54D458–48224Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54482–4897Colima
MEX-110489–51324Colima
local roads513–5163Colima
  • Mile 27 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 50 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 58 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 70 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 87 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 101 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 131 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 180 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 349 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 355 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 404 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 472 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

Stops between Puebla and Tecomán

  • Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 16), Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 468)
  • Museums and history: Cacaxtla (mile 17), Teotihuacan (mile 69), Tula (mile 117), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 117), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 201), Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (mile 487), Cathedral Basilica of Colima (mile 487)

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 16 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.

Cacaxtla

Mile 17 · 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.

Teotihuacan

Mile 69 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

Tula

Mile 117 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 117 · 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.

Teatro Morelos de Maravatío

Mile 201 · Opera house · 1 mi from the route

Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.

Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park

Mile 468 · National Park of Mexico · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This national park in western Mexico protects the upper slopes of two volcanic peaks, Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima, in the states of Jalisco and Colima.

Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar

Mile 487 · Art gallery · 1 mi from the route

Founded by collector María Teresa Pomar and run by the University of Colima, this museum is dedicated to Mexican folk art and handcrafts (artesanía), with pieces from across the country as well as the traditions of Colima state.

Cathedral Basilica of Colima

Mile 487 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Colima Cathedral, the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, stands at a corner of the Jardín Libertad in the city center. Pope John Paul II named it a minor basilica on October 12, 1998.

More drives to Tecomán

From Puebla to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Puebla to Tecomán?

About 9 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 516 miles.

How far is Tecomán from Puebla by car?

About 516 miles (831 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 Puebla to Tecomán?

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 Puebla to Tecomán?

The U.S. State Department rates 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; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Puebla to Tecomán use?

In order: MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-110, MEX-15, MEX-54 and MEX-54D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Puebla and Tecomán?

Closest to the road: Tula (archaeological site, mile 117, 1 mi from the route); Jorge R. Acosta Museum (museum, mile 117, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 201, 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.