Tuxtepec to Santa Fe de la Laguna Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tuxtepec to Santa Fe de la Laguna is 484 miles (779 km), about 8 h 19 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 Caution; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Michoacán is the Mexican state that contains Santa Fe de la Laguna. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Orizaba CathedralCañón del Río Blanco National ParkTeatro PrincipalMuseo BelloExconvent of Santa María MagdalenaJorge R. Acosta MuseumCathedral of AtlacomulcoRayón National ParkHistoric Centre of MoreliaTuxtepecSanta Fe de la Laguna
Route from Tuxtepec to Santa Fe de la Laguna with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance484 mi (779 km)
Driving time, no stops8 h 19 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-175 → MEX-145 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-15
Mexican states on the routeOaxaca (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 19.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Santa Fe de la Laguna is like

MEX-150D (156 mi) and MEX-M40D (139 mi) carry about 61% of the 484 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tuxtepec to Santa Fe de la Laguna, 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-15D357–44790State of Mexico, Michoacán
MEX-37D447–46821Michoacán
MEX-15468–48416Michoacán
  • 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)
  • Mile 375 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)

Stops between Tuxtepec and Santa Fe de la Laguna

  • 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), Rayón National Park (mile 378)
  • Museums and history: Orizaba Cathedral (mile 106), Museo Bello (mile 197), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 312), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 357)

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.

Teatro Principal

Mile 196 · Theatre building · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Teatro Principal is a historic theater in the city of Puebla that is still active as a stage for performances.

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.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 312 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Next to the Tula ruins, the Museo de Sitio Jorge R. Acosta traces the rise and decline of the Toltecs and their city, Tollan Xicocotitlan. It moved into new facilities in 1982 and covers nearly 20 years of digs led by archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta.

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.

Rayón National Park

Mile 378 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Historic Centre of Morelia

Mile 460 · Urban area · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Morelia's old core, founded in the 16th century as Valladolid, keeps more than 200 historic buildings in the region's pink stone around its cathedral and checkerboard streets. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1991.

When you get to Santa Fe de la Laguna

Tzintzuntzan

Archaeological site · in Santa Fe de la Laguna

Once the political and economic capital of the Purépecha empire, governed by a hereditary line of uacúsecha, or 'eagle lords,' Tzintzuntzan preserves its yácatas, temple bases that combine rectangular and semicircular platforms around ritual plazas.

More drives to Santa Fe de la Laguna

From Tuxtepec to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tuxtepec to Santa Fe de la Laguna?

About 8 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 484 miles.

How far is Santa Fe de la Laguna from Tuxtepec by car?

About 484 miles (779 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 Santa Fe de la Laguna?

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 Santa Fe de la Laguna?

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; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Tuxtepec to Santa Fe de la Laguna use?

In order: MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tuxtepec and Santa Fe de la Laguna?

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); Jorge R. Acosta Museum (museum, 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.