Toluca to Otumba Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Toluca to Otumba is 75 miles (120 km), about 1 h 36 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. State of Mexico is the Mexican state that contains Otumba. See the full advisory for current details.
Desierto de los Leones National ParkFuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan National ParkPapalote Museo del NiñoMuseo Nacional de HistoriaPalace of IturbidePlanetario Luis Enrique ErroBasilica of Our Lady of GuadalupeCatedral de TeotihuacánTemple of the Feathered Serpent, TeotihuacanTolucaOtumba
Route from Toluca to Otumba with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance75 mi (120 km)
Driving time, no stops1 h 36 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-15 → MEX-15D → Circuito Interior → MEX-85 → MEX-132D → MEX-132
Mexican states on the routeState of Mexico (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-15D, MEX-132D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 3.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Toluca to Otumba is like

MEX-15D (20 mi) and MEX-15 (15 mi) carry about 47% of the 75 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-132D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15, MEX-85, MEX-132 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: State of Mexico, Mexico City. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Toluca to Otumba, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-150–1111State of Mexico
MEX-15D11–3120State of Mexico, Mexico City
MEX-1531–354Mexico City
Circuito Interior35–405Mexico City
MEX-8540–5313Mexico City, State of Mexico
MEX-132D53–6512State of Mexico
MEX-13265–727State of Mexico
local roads72–753State of Mexico
  • Mile 23 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
  • Mile 46 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)

Stops between Toluca and Otumba

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Desierto de los Leones National Park (mile 24), Papalote Museo del Niño (mile 34), Museo Nacional de Historia (mile 36), Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 43)
  • Nature and outdoors: Desierto de los Leones National Park (mile 24), Fuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan National Park (mile 28)
  • Museums and history: Papalote Museo del Niño (mile 34), Museo Nacional de Historia (mile 36), Palace of Iturbide (mile 38), Planetario Luis Enrique Erro (mile 42), Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 43), Catedral de Teotihuacán (mile 65)
  • With kids: Planetario Luis Enrique Erro (mile 42)

Desierto de los Leones National Park

Mile 24 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

Declared a national park in 1917, this fir, ash and oak forest in Mexico City's Cuajimalpa and Álvaro Obregón boroughs surrounds a former Carmelite monastery. Locals come to hike, run and cycle, and more than 100 bird species live here.

Fuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan National Park

Mile 28 · National Park of Mexico · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In southern Mexico City's Tlalpan borough, Fuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan was declared a national park on September 28, 1936, on land once called the Barranca de los Manantiales.

Papalote Museo del Niño

Mile 34 · Museum building · 0.3 mi from the route

In Chapultepec's woods, Papalote Museo del Niño is a children's museum with interactive exhibits on science, technology and art built around learning and teamwork.

Museo Nacional de Historia

Mile 36 · National museum · 0.3 mi from the route

Inside Chapultepec Castle in Chapultepec Park, the National Museum of History (Museo Nacional de Historia) covers Mexico's past as one of the country's national museums.

Palace of Iturbide

Mile 38 · Museum · 2 mi from the route

Built by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso as a wedding gift for his daughter, the Palace of Iturbide is a grand residence at Madero 17 in Mexico City's historic center.

Planetario Luis Enrique Erro

Mile 42 · Science museum · 1 mi from the route

Run by the National Polytechnic Institute, the Planetario Luis Enrique Erro in Mexico City is a planetarium open to the public and one of the longest-running in Latin America.

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mile 43 · Catholic parish church · 0.5 mi from the route

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at the foot of Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City's Gustavo A. Madero borough, is a Catholic basilica dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe within the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico.

Catedral de Teotihuacán

Mile 65 · Catholic cathedral · 2 mi from the route

In Teotihuacán de Arista, the town at the heart of the municipality, the Cathedral Sanctuary of the Divine Redeemer serves as the seat of the Diocese of Teotihuacán.

Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacan

Mile 67 · Step pyramid · 1 mi from the route

The Temple of the Feathered Serpent is a pyramid at Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian city in central Mexico that rose around the 1st or 2nd century BC and was occupied into the 600s or 700s.

When you get to Otumba

Pyramid of the Sun

Temple · about 6 mi from Otumba

Rising along the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, the Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, believed to date to about AD 200.

Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba

Museum · in Otumba

The Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba is a museum in the town of Otumba de Gómez Farías devoted, as its name says, to the railroad.

Teotihuacan

Historic site · about 6 mi from Otumba

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

More drives to Otumba

From Toluca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Toluca to Otumba?

About 1 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 75 miles.

How far is Otumba from Toluca by car?

About 75 miles (120 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 Toluca to Otumba?

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 Toluca to Otumba?

The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Toluca to Otumba use?

In order: MEX-15, MEX-15D, Circuito Interior, MEX-85, MEX-132D and MEX-132. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Toluca and Otumba?

Closest to the road: Papalote Museo del Niño (museum building, mile 34, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Nacional de Historia (National museum, mile 36, 0.3 mi from the route); Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (catholic parish church, mile 43, 0.5 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.