Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán is 142 miles (228 km), about 3 h 18 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Morelos is the Mexican state that contains Tlaltizapán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Pyramid of the MoonCatedral de TeotihuacánPaleontological Museum in TocuilaTexcoco CathedralHistoric center of Mexico CityIztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National ParkMonasteries on the slopes of PopocatépetlTemplo y Exconvento de San Mateo ApóstolTulancingoTlaltizapán
Route from Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance142 mi (228 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 18 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-130 → MEX-132 → MEX-142 → MEX-5D → MEX-115 → MOR 4
Mexican states on the routeHidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-132D, MEX-5D, MEX-115D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 5.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán is like

MEX-132 (41 mi) and MEX-115 (27 mi) carry about 48% of the 142 miles. MEX-5D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-130, MEX-132, MEX-142, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Hidalgo
MEX-1302–64Hidalgo
MEX-1326–4741Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads47–536State of Mexico
MEX-14253–6310State of Mexico
connecting roads63–663State of Mexico
MEX-5D66–7812State of Mexico
connecting roads78–791State of Mexico
MEX-11579–9415State of Mexico
local roads94–10915State of Mexico, Morelos
MEX-115109–12112Morelos
connecting roads121–1265Morelos
MOR 4126–14115Morelos
local roads141–1421Morelos
  • Mile 29 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 103 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Tulancingo and Tlaltizapán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (mile 60), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 61), Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl (mile 112), Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol (mile 112)
  • Nature and outdoors: Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 93)
  • Museums and history: Catedral de Teotihuacán (mile 46), Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (mile 60), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 61)

Pyramid of the Moon

Mile 42 · Step pyramid · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the western part of ancient Teotihuacan, in present-day San Martín de las Pirámides, the Pyramid of the Moon mimics the contours of Cerro Gordo, the mountain just north of the site.

Catedral de Teotihuacán

Mile 46 · 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.

Paleontological Museum in Tocuila

Mile 60 · Paleontological museum · 0.7 mi from the route

The Paleontological Museum in Tocuila, in Texcoco, State of Mexico, is a fossil museum displaying part of a rich deposit of Late Pleistocene animals from the Americas.

Texcoco Cathedral

Mile 61 · Cathedral · 0.7 mi from the route

Texcoco's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception occupies a former convent built by the Franciscans in the 16th century, one of the order's early convent complexes in the Americas.

Historic center of Mexico City

Mile 65 · Old town · 15 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park

Mile 93 · National Park of Mexico · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.

Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl

Mile 112 · World Heritage Site · 0.8 mi from the route

Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.

Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol

Mile 112 · Convent · 0.8 mi from the route

Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.

When you get to Tlaltizapán

Xochicalco

Archaeological site · about 14 mi from Tlaltizapán

A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.

More drives to Tlaltizapán

From Tulancingo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán?

About 3 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 142 miles.

How far is Tlaltizapán from Tulancingo by car?

About 142 miles (228 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 Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán?

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 Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán?

The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Tulancingo to Tlaltizapán use?

In order: MEX-130, MEX-132, MEX-142, MEX-5D, MEX-115 and MOR 4. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tulancingo and Tlaltizapán?

Closest to the road: Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (paleontological museum, mile 60, 0.7 mi from the route); Texcoco Cathedral (cathedral, mile 61, 0.7 mi from the route); Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl (world Heritage Site, mile 112, 0.8 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.