Tuxtepec to Huasca de Ocampo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tuxtepec to Huasca de Ocampo is 301 miles (485 km), about 5 h 43 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. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Huasca de Ocampo. See the full advisory for current details.
HuatuscoTeatro Pedro DíazOrizaba CathedralCañón del Río Blanco National ParkMuseo BelloExconvent of Santa María MagdalenaEl Chico National ParkTuxtepecHuasca de Ocampo
Route from Tuxtepec to Huasca de Ocampo with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance301 mi (485 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 43 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-175 → MEX-145 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105
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
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

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 Huasca de Ocampo is like

MEX-150D (156 mi) and MEX-145 (49 mi) carry about 68% of the 301 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tuxtepec to Huasca de Ocampo, 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-M40D217–26245Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-132262–2664State of Mexico, Hidalgo
connecting roads266–2671Hidalgo
MEX-88267–28215Hidalgo
local roads282–2853Hidalgo
MEX-105285–29611Hidalgo
local roads296–3015Hidalgo
  • 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 251 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 263 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Tuxtepec and Huasca de Ocampo

  • 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), El Chico National Park (mile 290)
  • Museums and history: Huatusco (mile 66), Orizaba Cathedral (mile 106), Museo Bello (mile 197)

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.

Teatro Pedro Díaz

Mile 93 · Theatre building · 2 mi from the route

In downtown Córdoba, the Teatro Pedro Díaz was built in the late 19th century by Pedro Díaz to a design by engineer A. Durán; its facade was remodeled in 1905.

Orizaba Cathedral

Mile 106 · Cathedral · 1 mi from the route

The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is the main Catholic church of Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz, and the seat of the Diocese of Orizaba.

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.

Museo Bello

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

Puebla's Museo José Luis Bello y González shows the collection of industrialist José Luis Bello y González and his son: paintings, Talavera, featherwork, furniture, porcelain, ivory, glass and metalwork from America, Europe and Asia.

Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena

Mile 217 · Convent · 2 mi from the route

The former convent of Santa María Magdalena (Exconvento de Santa María Magdalena) is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Dieguino friars, still in use as a Catholic temple of the Archdiocese of Puebla.

El Chico National Park

Mile 290 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

When you get to Huasca de Ocampo

Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla

Waterfall · in Huasca de Ocampo

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.

More drives to Huasca de Ocampo

From Tuxtepec to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tuxtepec to Huasca de Ocampo?

About 5 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 301 miles.

How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Tuxtepec by car?

About 301 miles (485 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 Huasca de Ocampo?

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 Huasca de Ocampo?

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 Huasca de Ocampo use?

In order: MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tuxtepec and Huasca de Ocampo?

Closest to the road: Orizaba Cathedral (cathedral, mile 106, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 115, 0.6 mi from the route); Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena (convent, mile 217, 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 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.