Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico is about 217 road miles (350 km): roughly 4 h 19 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Total distance | 217 mi (350 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 4 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-135D → MEX-190 → MEX-175 |
| Mexican states on the route | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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.
Driving Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico: the shape of the trip
MEX-135D (121 mi) and MEX-175 (64 mi) carry about 85% of the 217 miles. It runs through 2 states: Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 4–125 | 121 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 125–130 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 130–136 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 136–147 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 147–157 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 157–169 | 12 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 169–176 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 176–217 | 41 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 26 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Places worth a stop between Tehuacán and San José del Pacífico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Suchilquitongo (mile 114), Museo del Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur (mile 130), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 140)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 17), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 124)
- Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 114), Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (mile 130), Museo del Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur (mile 130), Zaachila (mile 140), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 140)
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.
Suchilquitongo
Locals call this Zapotec hilltop city Cerro de la Campana; it flourished between about 300 and 800 AD in the northern Etla Valley. Tomb 5, excavated in 1985, holds murals and stucco carvings counted among ancient Mexico's finest funerary art.
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.
Archaeological Zone of Atzompa
About 8 km west of Oaxaca City on Cerro del Bonete, in Santa María Atzompa, this archaeological site was a monumental complex that belonged to nearby Monte Albán.
Museo del Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur
Oaxaca City's old railroad station, built in the late 19th century, houses the Museo del Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur, which reopened as an exhibition space in 2003.
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.
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.
More drives to San José del Pacífico
- Capulalpam de Méndez to San José del Pacífico
- Tuxtepec to San José del Pacífico
- Orizaba to San José del Pacífico
- Córdoba, Mexico to San José del Pacífico
- Tlacotalpan to San José del Pacífico
- Huamantla to San José del Pacífico
From Tehuacán to other places in Mexico
- Tehuacán to Córdoba
- Tehuacán to Huejotzingo
- Tehuacán to Tlaxcala
- Tehuacán to Calpulalpan
- Tehuacán to Otumba
- Tehuacán to Tepoztlán
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico?
About 4 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 217 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico?
About 217 miles (350 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 Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico?
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 Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico?
The U.S. State Department rates Puebla 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 Tehuacán to San José del Pacífico use?
In order: MEX-135D, MEX-190 and MEX-175. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tehuacán and San José del Pacífico?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 114, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo del Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur (museum, mile 130, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (folk art museum, mile 140, 0.0 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.