Salamanca to Tuxtepec Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Salamanca to Tuxtepec is 445 miles (716 km), about 7 h 36 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Oaxaca — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Oaxaca is the Mexican state that contains Tuxtepec. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Celaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasTula National ParkAqueduct of Padre TemblequeCacaxtlaMuseo Poblano de Arte VirreinalOrizaba CathedralCathedral of Córdoba, VeracruzSalamancaTuxtepec
Route from Salamanca to Tuxtepec with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance445 mi (716 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 36 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-150D → MEX-145 → MEX-175
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2), Oaxaca (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 17.8 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 Salamanca to Tuxtepec is like

MEX-150D (152 mi) and MEX-M40D (107 mi) carry about 58% of the 445 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-145, MEX-175 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 8 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Salamanca to Tuxtepec, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Guanajuato
MEX-45D2–3937Guanajuato
MEX-47D39–9152Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D91–12736Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-M40D127–234107Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla
MEX-150D234–386152Puebla, Veracruz
connecting roads386–3882Veracruz
MEX-145388–43749Veracruz
MEX-175437–4447Veracruz, Oaxaca
local roads444–4451Oaxaca
  • Mile 52 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 93 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 126 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 156 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 170 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 187 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 199 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 207 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 230 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 318 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
  • Mile 441 of this route: Veracruz → Oaxaca (state line)

Stops between Salamanca and Tuxtepec

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tula National Park (mile 139)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 50), Tula National Park (mile 139)
  • Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 27), Cacaxtla (mile 239), Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal (mile 254), Orizaba Cathedral (mile 339), Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (mile 353)

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 27 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 50 · 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.

Tula National Park

Mile 139 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 190 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Cacaxtla

Mile 239 · 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.

Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal

Mile 254 · 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.

Orizaba Cathedral

Mile 339 · Cathedral · 1 mi from the route

The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is the main Catholic church of Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz, and the seat of the Diocese of Orizaba.

Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz

Mile 353 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Built in the first half of the 17th century, Córdoba's Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the city's main church; look up to see its octagonal dome covered in tiles, finished in a neoclassical style.

More drives to Tuxtepec

From Salamanca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Salamanca to Tuxtepec?

About 7 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 445 miles.

How far is Tuxtepec from Salamanca 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 Salamanca to Tuxtepec?

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 Salamanca to Tuxtepec?

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

What roads does the drive from Salamanca to Tuxtepec use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D, MEX-145 and MEX-175. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Salamanca and Tuxtepec?

Closest to the road: Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 139, 1 mi from the route); Orizaba Cathedral (cathedral, mile 339, 1 mi from the route); Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (cathedral, mile 353, 2 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.