The Wayro route from Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán is 165 miles (265 km), about 3 h 36 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 165 mi (265 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 36 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-130D → MEX-132D → MEX-105 → HGO 37 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-130D, MEX-132D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 6.6 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.
What the drive from Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán is like
MEX-132D (82 mi) and MEX-130D (23 mi) carry about 64% of the 165 miles. MEX-130D, MEX-132D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-105 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 3 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-130D | 1–24 | 23 | Veracruz |
| MEX-132D | 24–106 | 82 | Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo |
| local roads | 106–127 | 21 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 127–130 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 130–134 | 4 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 134–150 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| HGO 37 | 150–165 | 15 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 33 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 87 of this route: Puebla → Hidalgo (state line)
Stops between Tuxpan, Veracruz and Metztitlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (mile 134), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 150), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 158)
- Nature and outdoors: Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla (mile 122), El Chico National Park (mile 127), El Hiloche (mile 127), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 150), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 158)
- Museums and history: El Tajín (mile 23), Museo del Ferrocarril (mile 106)
El Tajín
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, El Tajín peaked from the early 9th to the early 13th century. Look for the Pyramid of the Niches, elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes, and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.
Museo del Ferrocarril
This former railway station on the old Hidalgo Railroad line to Mexico City now works as a museum, with photographs of its construction and the office and bookkeeping objects used in its day.
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.
El Chico National Park
In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.
El Hiloche
Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.
Templo y exconvento de San Agustín
Founded in 1536 and built between 1542 and 1562, the Augustinian church and former convent of San Agustín in Atotonilco el Grande has a Plateresque design and frescoes.
Barranca de Metztitlán
Barranca de Metztitlán is a biosphere reserve in Hidalgo, protected for its steep cliffs, deep winding canyons and distinctive plants and wildlife.
Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán
The Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve protects about 96,000 hectares of eastern-central Hidalgo, where the Amajac, Metztitlán, Almolón and Metzquititlán rivers have cut four canyons, the Metztitlán gorge being the main one.
When you get to Metztitlán
Los Reyes Magos monastery, Metztitlán
Augustinian friars built the fortress-like Santos Reyes convent in Metztitlán in the 16th century, enclosing its atrium with a wall, open chapels and an atrial cross; it stands inside the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve with wide canyon views.
More drives to Metztitlán
- Pachuca to Metztitlán
- Actopan to Metztitlán
- Tulancingo to Metztitlán
- Zimapán to Metztitlán
- Otumba to Metztitlán
- Calpulalpan to Metztitlán
From Tuxpan, Veracruz to other places in Mexico
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Omitlán
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Otumba
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Chiautempan
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Tlaxcala
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Actopan
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Chipilo
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán?
About 3 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 165 miles.
How far is Metztitlán from Tuxpan, Veracruz by car?
About 165 miles (265 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 Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán?
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 Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Tuxpan, Veracruz to Metztitlán use?
In order: MEX-130D, MEX-132D, MEX-105 and HGO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tuxpan, Veracruz and Metztitlán?
Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (convent, mile 134, 0.7 mi from the route); Barranca de Metztitlán (canyon, mile 150, 0.0 mi from the route); Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (biosphere reserve, mile 158, 0.6 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.