By road, Tlayacapan and Capulalpam de Méndez are about 331 miles (532 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 11 min of driving.
| Distance | 331 mi (532 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 6 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-113 → MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-135D → MEX-175 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-135D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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.
On the road from Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-150D (43 mi) carry about 59% of the 331 miles. It runs through 3 states: Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-160D, MEX-190D and MEX-150D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-113 | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 4–5 | 1 | Morelos |
| local roads | 5–9 | 4 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 9–10 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 10–26 | 16 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 26–61 | 35 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 61–71 | 10 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 71–86 | 15 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 86–87 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 87–130 | 43 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 130–281 | 151 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 281–291 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 291–325 | 34 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 325–331 | 6 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 35 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 181 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Tlayacapan and Capulalpam de Méndez
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Soledad (mile 287)
- Nature and outdoors: La Malinche National Park (mile 88), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 173), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 281)
- Museums and history: Historic centre of Puebla (mile 71), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 158), Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (mile 285), Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Soledad (mile 287)
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla
The 16th-century church and former monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla belongs to the Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 as early missionary architecture with large open courtyards.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
La Malinche National Park
Pine, oak and fir forests cover the slopes of the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, the centerpiece of La Malinche National Park in Tlaxcala.
Museo del Valle de Tehuacán
The history of corn and how it connects to the valley's early peoples is the focus of the Valley of Tehuacán Museum, which opened in 2002 in a former Carmelite convent.
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.
Benito Juárez National Park
Just north of Oaxaca City, Benito Juárez National Park covers about 2,737 hectares of pine and oak forest. Trails wind through the woods, including La Coronilla, a moderate loop of roughly 5 km.
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.
Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Soledad
Built between 1682 and 1690, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Soledad in Oaxaca de Juárez is a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Solitude, patron saint of Oaxaca.
More drives to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Tehuacán to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Orizaba to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Huamantla to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Ixtenco to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Puebla to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Chipilo to Capulalpam de Méndez
From Tlayacapan to other places in Mexico
- Tlayacapan to Malinalco
- Tlayacapan to Tonatico
- Tlayacapan to Ixtenco
- Tlayacapan to Omitlán
- Tlayacapan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tlayacapan to El Oro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez?
About 6 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 331 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez?
About 331 miles (532 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 Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez?
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 Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; 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 Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez use?
In order: MEX-113, MEX-160, PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-135D and MEX-175. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tlayacapan to Capulalpam de Méndez?
Closest to the road: Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (museum, mile 158, 3 mi from the route); Archaeological Zone of Atzompa (archaeological site, mile 285, 2 mi from the route); Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Soledad (church, mile 287, 0.2 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 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.