The Wayro route from Tuxtepec to Tzintzuntzan is 487 miles (783 km), about 8 h 22 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 487 mi (783 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 22 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-175 → MEX-145 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-15 → MEX-120 |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.5 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 Tzintzuntzan is like
MEX-150D (156 mi) and MEX-M40D (139 mi) carry about 61% of the 487 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-15, MEX-120 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tuxtepec to Tzintzuntzan, 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 | 60–216 | 156 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 216–217 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 217–356 | 139 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 356–357 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 357–447 | 90 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 447–468 | 21 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 468–482 | 14 | Michoacán |
| MEX-120 | 482–487 | 5 | Michoacán |
- 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 Tzintzuntzan
- 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: Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (mile 93), Capilla del Arte (mile 197), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 357), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 396)
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.
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.
Capilla del Arte
Capilla del Arte is a cultural space of the Universidad de las Américas Puebla in the old Las Fábricas de Francia building, with a contemporary art gallery and a reading nook.
Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena
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.
Atlantean figures
Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
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.
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.
Historic Centre of Morelia
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 Tzintzuntzan
Lake Pátzcuaro
Boats leave the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro for its islands, including Janitzio, topped by a statue of José María Morelos. Purépecha fishers here are known for butterfly-shaped nets, and whitefish is the local specialty.
Tzintzuntzan
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.
Ihuatzio
On the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro, Ihuatzio was one of three main Purépecha power centers. Visitors can see raised walkways and two semicircular pyramids called yácatas; excavations here also turned up Chac Mool and coyote sculptures carved from volcanic rock.
More drives to Tzintzuntzan
- Tequila to Tzintzuntzan
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Tzintzuntzan
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Tzintzuntzan
- Zacatecas to Tzintzuntzan
- Jerez, Zacatecas to Tzintzuntzan
- Sombrerete to Tzintzuntzan
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 Tzintzuntzan?
About 8 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 487 miles.
How far is Tzintzuntzan from Tuxtepec by car?
About 487 miles (783 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 Tzintzuntzan?
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 Tzintzuntzan?
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 Tzintzuntzan use?
In order: MEX-175, MEX-145, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-15 and MEX-120. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tuxtepec and Tzintzuntzan?
Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 115, 0.6 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 312, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 396, 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.