Plan on about 8 h 60 min of driving for the 551-mile (886 km) trip from Tuxtla to Actopan, before any stops.
| Distance | 551 mi (886 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 60 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-187D → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 |
| Mexican states on the route | Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-187D, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.0 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.
How the Tuxtla to Actopan drive plays out
MEX-150D (157 mi) and MEX-145D (142 mi) carry about 54% of the 551 miles. It runs through 7 states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-187D, MEX-180D and MEX-145D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Tuxtla to Actopan
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Chiapas |
| MEX-190 | 7–16 | 9 | Chiapas |
| MEX-187D | 16–137 | 121 | Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz |
| MEX-180 | 137–142 | 5 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 142–163 | 21 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 163–305 | 142 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 305–462 | 157 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 462–463 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 463–508 | 45 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 508–512 | 4 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 512–528 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 528–551 | 23 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 71 of this route: Chiapas → Tabasco (state line)
- Mile 76 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 373 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 467 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 490 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 497 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 509 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
What to see on the way from Tuxtla to Actopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 360), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 528)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 360), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 528)
- Museums and history: Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 350), Orizaba Cathedral (mile 352), Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal (mile 442), Cacaxtla (mile 457)
- With kids: Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo (mile 529)
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.
Orizaba Cathedral
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
Veracruz is home to Cañón del Río Blanco National Park, a natural area that the Mexican government has set aside for protection.
Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal
Puebla's San Pedro Museo de Arte, formerly the Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal, opened in 2000 and focuses on New Spanish painting, with galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Convento de Huejotzingo
Founded by Franciscans in the 16th century, the former convent of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo shows colonial Plateresque architecture on the western slopes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1994.
Cacaxtla
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.
Parque Ecológico Cubitos
Between Pachuca de Soto and Mineral de la Reforma, Parque Ecológico Cubitos is a 90-hectare protected natural area whose public section has a botanical garden, an arboretum, a herpetarium, a farm, a maze, a zip line and a bike path.
Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo
Pachuca's Bioparque de Convivencia is a rescue and recovery center for wild, exotic and endemic animals saved from abuse, abandonment or risk, housing a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation unit.
More drives to Actopan
- Tulancingo to Actopan
- Tepotzotlán to Actopan
- Mexico City to Actopan
- Tequisquiapan to Actopan
- Toluca to Actopan
- Cuernavaca to Actopan
From Tuxtla to other places in Mexico
- Tuxtla to Tapijulapa
- Tuxtla to Teapa
- Tuxtla to Cholula
- Tuxtla to Chiautempan
- Tuxtla to Huejotzingo
- Tuxtla to Tlaxcala
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tuxtla to Actopan?
About 8 h 60 min of driving without stops, over 551 miles.
How far is Actopan from Tuxtla by car?
About 551 miles (886 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 Tuxtla to Actopan?
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 Tuxtla to Actopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Chiapas Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Tabasco 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 Tuxtla to Actopan use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-187D, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132 and MEX-88. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tuxtla and Actopan?
Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 350, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 360, 0.5 mi from the route); Parque Ecológico Cubitos (park, mile 528, 0.7 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.