Tuxtepec to El Oro Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tuxtepec to El Oro is 380 miles (612 km), about 6 h 42 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Oaxaca — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. State of Mexico is the Mexican state that contains El Oro. See the full advisory for current details.
HuatuscoVeracruz State Art MuseumCañón del Río Blanco National ParkCasa del AlfeñiqueCacaxtlaTeotihuacanTulaCathedral of AtlacomulcoTuxtepecEl Oro
Route from Tuxtepec to El Oro with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance380 mi (612 km)
Driving time, no stops6 h 42 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-175 → MEX-145 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-561 → EM 5
Mexican states on the routeOaxaca (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 15.2 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 Tuxtepec to El Oro is like

MEX-150D (156 mi) and MEX-M40D (139 mi) carry about 78% of the 380 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-561 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tuxtepec to El Oro, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Oaxaca
MEX-1751–76Oaxaca, Veracruz
MEX-1457–5649Veracruz
connecting roads56–604Veracruz
MEX-150D60–216156Veracruz, Puebla
connecting roads216–2171Puebla
MEX-M40D217–356139Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads356–3571State of Mexico
MEX-15D357–36811State of Mexico
MEX-561368–3724State of Mexico
EM 5372–3808State of Mexico
  • Mile 4 of this route: Oaxaca → Veracruz (state line)
  • Mile 128 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 221 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 244 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 252 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 265 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 281 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 295 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 326 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)

Stops between Tuxtepec and El Oro

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 115)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 115)
  • Museums and history: Huatusco (mile 66), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 104), Casa del Alfeñique (mile 197), Cacaxtla (mile 212), Teotihuacan (mile 263), Tula (mile 312), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 357)

Huatusco

Mile 66 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Above the Atoyac River in Carrillo Puerto, the ruins of Huatusco (Cuauhtochco) include a Mexica-era temple that still keeps original surface finishes. There are no visitor facilities; reaching it means crossing a suspension bridge and climbing a steep trail, ideally with a local guide.

Veracruz State Art Museum

Mile 104 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

Housed in Orizaba's 18th-century former Oratorio of San Felipe Neri, later a hospital and then a jail, the Veracruz State Art Museum (Museo de Arte del Estado) holds more than 700 works, including 36 by Diego Rivera.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 115 · National Park of Mexico · 0.6 mi from the route

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.

Casa del Alfeñique

Mile 197 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in 1926, the Museo Regional Casa de Alfeñique is a museum in the city of Puebla, housed in the building known as the Casa de Alfeñique.

Cacaxtla

Mile 212 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.

Teotihuacan

Mile 263 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Tula

Mile 312 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Cathedral of Atlacomulco

Mile 357 · Catholic cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.

When you get to El Oro

Museo del Ferrocarril del Oro

Museum · in El Oro

The Museo del Ferrocarril is in El Oro de Hidalgo, State of Mexico, a town seen as an important part of Mexico's mining and railroad history and named a Pueblo Mágico in 2011.

Rayón National Park

National Park of Mexico · in El Oro

Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.

More drives to El Oro

From Tuxtepec to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tuxtepec to El Oro?

About 6 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 380 miles.

How far is El Oro from Tuxtepec by car?

About 380 miles (612 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 Tuxtepec to El Oro?

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 Tuxtepec to El Oro?

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

What roads does the drive from Tuxtepec to El Oro use?

In order: MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-561 and EM 5. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tuxtepec and El Oro?

Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 104, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 115, 0.6 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 312, 1 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.