By road, Teapa and Izamal are about 420 miles (676 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 49 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 420 mi (676 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-195 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-202 → YUC 11 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 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.
What the drive from Teapa to Izamal is like
MEX-180 (325 mi) and MEX-195 (33 mi) carry about 85% of the 420 miles. It runs through 3 states: Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Teapa to Izamal: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tabasco |
| MEX-195 | 1–34 | 33 | Tabasco |
| connecting roads | 34–37 | 3 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180 | 37–244 | 207 | Tabasco, Campeche |
| MEX-180D | 244–268 | 24 | Campeche |
| MEX-202 | 268–278 | 10 | Campeche |
| MEX-180 | 278–370 | 92 | Campeche, Yucatán |
| local roads | 370–380 | 10 | Yucatán |
| MEX-180 | 380–406 | 26 | Yucatán |
| YUC 11 | 406–419 | 13 | Yucatán |
| local roads | 419–420 | 1 | Yucatán |
- Mile 98 of this route: Tabasco → Campeche (state line)
- Mile 331 of this route: Campeche → Yucatán (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Teapa and Izamal
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 35), Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 35), Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán (mile 309), Xiol (mile 385)
- Museums and history: Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 35), Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 35), Museo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el Alto (mile 274), Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán (mile 309), Uxmal (mile 329), Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán (mile 377), Xiol (mile 385), Cuca (mile 391)
Villahermosa Cathedral
Rising on Paseo Tabasco in Villahermosa, the Cathedral of the Lord of Tabasco has tall towers above a monumental facade. The current building dates from 1960–1963; an earlier cathedral was destroyed in the anticlerical campaigns of 1928–1934.
Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos
The Museo de Historia de Tabasco, housed in the Casa de los Azulejos, is a history museum in the historic center of Villahermosa, Tabasco.
Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
Founded by the Spanish on the Gulf of Mexico, Campeche's walled center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sections of the hexagonal wall built from 1686 to 1704 against pirate raids survive with bastions and gates, framing a grid of colonial streets.
Museo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el Alto
Inside Fuerte de San José el Alto in Campeche city, the museum displays more than 900 objects recovered from underwater archaeological sites in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mexican Caribbean and the cenotes, lakes and rivers of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán
On Highway 180 about 40 miles north of Campeche city, Hecelchakán's INAH museum displays Maya archaeology from the Camino Real region. It is the only museum of its kind along this historic route toward Calkiní.
Uxmal
Founded around A.D. 700, the Maya city of Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Puuc-style buildings such as the Pyramid of the Soothsayer, the Governor's Palace and the Nunnery Quadrangle carry carvings of the rain god Chaac.
Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán
In Mérida's historic center, this memorial museum tells the story of the first Korean immigrants to Yucatán and their work in the henequen industry, with more than 200 photos, documents, newspapers and pieces of traditional clothing.
Xiol
Xiol is a Maya archaeological site in Kanasín, about 10 kilometers from Mérida, found by accident in 2018 during construction of an industrial complex. Its Maya name means "the spirit of man."
Cuca
Near the town of Tixpéhual in Yucatán, Cuca is a pre-Columbian Maya site of about 10 hectares, where dozens of structures and their remains lie scattered inside a low wall.
Once you reach Izamal
Convento de Izamal
Built between 1549 and 1561, the Convent of San Antonio de Padua in Izamal was the fifth convent erected in what is now the state of Yucatán.
Kinich Kakmó
Kinich Kakmó is an archaeological site in Izamal, Yucatán, about 66.5 km east of Mérida, dedicated to the Maya deity of the same name.
More drives to Izamal
- Maxcanú to Izamal
- Campeche to Izamal
- Champotón to Izamal
- Ocosingo to Izamal
- Coatzacoalcos to Izamal
- Progreso to Izamal
From Teapa to other places in Mexico
- Teapa to Tlacotalpan
- Teapa to Ixtenco
- Teapa to Chipilo
- Teapa to Tecolutla
- Teapa to Tlaxco
- Teapa to San Miguel, Morelos
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Teapa to Izamal?
About 8 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 420 miles.
What is the driving distance from Teapa to Izamal?
About 420 miles (676 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 Teapa to Izamal?
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 Teapa to Izamal?
The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Yucatán Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Teapa to Izamal?
In order: MEX-195, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-202 and YUC 11. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Teapa and Izamal?
Closest to the road: Villahermosa Cathedral (cathedral, mile 35, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (museum, mile 35, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán (museum, mile 309, 0.6 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.