Plan on about 5 h 12 min of driving for the 250-mile (403 km) trip from Tehuacán to Santa Catarina Juquila, before any stops.
| Distance by road | 250 mi (403 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-135D → MEX-190 → MEX-131 |
| Mexican states on the route | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-135D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.0 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.
What the drive from Tehuacán to Santa Catarina Juquila is like
MEX-135D (121 mi) and MEX-131 (82 mi) carry about 81% of the 250 miles. It runs through 2 states: Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-135D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tehuacán to Santa Catarina Juquila
| 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 | 130–146 | 16 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-131 | 146–168 | 22 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 168–172 | 4 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-131 | 172–232 | 60 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 232–250 | 18 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 26 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Suchilquitongo (mile 114), Zaachila (mile 139)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 17), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 125)
- Museums and history: Suchilquitongo (mile 114), Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán (mile 131), Monte Albán (mile 132), Zaachila (mile 139)
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
Cactus diversity reaches one of its peaks in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a dry landscape shared by Puebla and Oaxaca. Ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams show how people managed its scarce water.
Suchilquitongo
Tomb 5 at Cerro de la Campana, excavated in 1985, holds murals and stucco carvings ranked among the finest funerary art of ancient Mexico. The Zapotec site crowns a hill in the northern Etla Valley.
Benito Juárez National Park
Hikers heading just north of Oaxaca City reach Benito Juárez National Park, where trails cross roughly 2,737 hectares of pine and oak. La Coronilla, a moderate loop, runs about 5 km.
Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán
The site museum of the Monte Albán archaeological zone in Oaxaca is located just outside the archaeological zone of Monte Albán itself.
Monte Albán
Carved into a mountaintop above the Valley of Oaxaca, Monte Albán was a Zapotec capital for some 1,300 years; visitors walk a 300-meter ceremonial plaza lined with temples, a ball court, tombs and carved reliefs. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Monastery of Santiago Apóstol, Cuilapan de Guerrero
In the town of Cuilapan de Guerrero, the fortress-like former monastery of Santiago Apóstol is easy to spot from the highway south of Oaxaca City toward Villa de Zaachila and draws Mexican and international visitors.
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.
More drives to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Tuxtepec to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Orizaba to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Córdoba, Mexico to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Huamantla to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Puebla to Santa Catarina Juquila
- Cholula to Santa Catarina Juquila
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
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tehuacán to Santa Catarina Juquila?
About 5 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 250 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tehuacán to Santa Catarina Juquila?
About 250 miles (403 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 Santa Catarina Juquila?
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 Santa Catarina Juquila?
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 Santa Catarina Juquila use?
In order: MEX-135D, MEX-190 and MEX-131. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tehuacán and Santa Catarina Juquila?
Closest to the road: Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 114, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Sitio de Monte Albán (museum, mile 131, 2 mi from the route); Zaachila (archaeological site, mile 139, 0.4 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.