The Wayro route from Tuxtepec to Malinalco is 326 miles (524 km), about 6 h 41 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 326 mi (524 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 41 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-175 → MEX-145 → MEX-150D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MOR 21 → MEX-185 → MEX-181 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.0 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 Tuxtepec to Malinalco is like
MEX-150D (131 mi) and MEX-145 (49 mi) carry about 55% of the 326 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-94D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-190, MEX-185, MEX-181 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tuxtepec to Malinalco, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 1–7 | 6 | Oaxaca, Veracruz |
| MEX-145 | 7–56 | 49 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 56–60 | 4 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 60–191 | 131 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 191–206 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 206–217 | 11 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 217–251 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 251–283 | 32 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 283–286 | 3 | Morelos |
| MOR 21 | 286–296 | 10 | Morelos |
| local roads | 296–316 | 20 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-185 | 316–321 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-181 | 321–325 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 325–326 | 1 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 4 of this route: Oaxaca → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 128 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 244 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 314 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Tuxtepec and Malinalco
- 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), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 306)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (mile 93), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 104), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 253), Museo de sitio de Xochicalco (mile 300)
Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz
Built in the first half of the 17th century, Córdoba's Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the city's main church; look up to see its octagonal dome covered in tiles, finished in a neoclassical style.
Veracruz State Art Museum
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.
Teatro Llave
In central Orizaba, the Gran Teatro Ignacio de la Llave hosts artistic and cultural performances, and its exhibition room shows temporary collections, mostly by artists from the surrounding valley.
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park
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.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Museo de sitio de Xochicalco
Next to the Xochicalco archaeological zone in Morelos, the site museum sits along the Xochicalco–Tetlama federal road.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
When you get to Malinalco
Malinalco
Carved straight into the hillside above Malinalco, the Cuauhcalli is a rock-cut temple at the heart of this archaeological zone. The Mexica took the Matlatzinca town around 1476 and used it to train and consecrate elite warriors.
Desierto del Carmen National Park
Declared a national park on October 10, 1942, Desierto del Carmen is a protected area in the municipality of Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico.
More drives to Malinalco
- Valle de Bravo to Malinalco
- Zitácuaro to Malinalco
- Tlalpujahua to Malinalco
- San Juan del Río to Malinalco
- Tequisquiapan to Malinalco
- Salvatierra to Malinalco
From Tuxtepec to other places in Mexico
- Tuxtepec to Zacatelco
- Tuxtepec to Huejotzingo
- Tuxtepec to Calpulalpan
- Tuxtepec to Otumba
- Tuxtepec to Tlaltizapán
- Tuxtepec to Tepoztlán
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tuxtepec to Malinalco?
About 6 h 41 min of driving without stops, over 326 miles.
How far is Malinalco from Tuxtepec by car?
About 326 miles (524 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 Malinalco?
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 Malinalco?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; 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 Malinalco use?
In order: MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-150D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MOR 21, MEX-185 and MEX-181. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tuxtepec and Malinalco?
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); Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 253, 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.