By road, Tuxtla and Balancán are about 229 miles (369 km) apart, or roughly 5 h 21 min of driving.
| Total distance | 229 mi (369 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 5 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-190D → MEX-199 → MEX-186 |
| Mexican states on the route | Chiapas, Tabasco |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-190D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Tuxtla to Balancán is like
MEX-199 (141 mi) and MEX-190D (29 mi) carry about 74% of the 229 miles. It runs through 2 states: Chiapas, Tabasco. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-190D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tuxtla to Balancán
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Chiapas |
| MEX-190 | 1–7 | 6 | Chiapas |
| MEX-190D | 7–36 | 29 | Chiapas |
| MEX-190 | 36–43 | 7 | Chiapas |
| MEX-199 | 43–184 | 141 | Chiapas |
| MEX-186 | 184–209 | 25 | Chiapas, Tabasco |
| local roads | 209–229 | 20 | Tabasco |
- Mile 204 of this route: Chiapas → Tabasco (state line)
What to see on the way from Tuxtla to Balancán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Misol Há (mile 155)
- Nature and outdoors: Selva El Ocote (mile 16), Agua Azul (mile 130), Misol Há (mile 155), Palenque National Park (mile 167)
- Museums and history: Museo de la Laca and the Santo Domingo monastery (mile 8), Chiapa de Corzo (mile 9), Casa Na Bolom (mile 37), San Cristobal Cathedral (mile 37)
Museo de la Laca and the Santo Domingo monastery
Dominican friars built this convent in Chiapa de Corzo in the second half of the 16th century; today it is a cultural center whose Museo de la Laca is devoted to Chiapas' traditional lacquerwork.
Chiapa de Corzo
Near the town of Chiapa de Corzo in Chiapas lies a pre-Columbian archaeological site of the same name that grew into a regional center around 700–500 BCE, during the Middle Formative period.
Selva El Ocote
Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve covers about 101,288 hectares of Chiapas, protecting tall evergreen rain forest on karst terrain, a landscape also known for its extensive caverns.
Casa Na Bolom
Once the home of archaeologist Frans Blom and photographer Gertrude Duby Blom, Casa Na Bolom in San Cristóbal de las Casas occupies an 1891 building and shows pre-Hispanic, textile, ethnographic and colonial collections.
San Cristobal Cathedral
Seat of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, the San Cristobal Cathedral (Catedral de San Cristóbal de Las Casas) stands on the north side of the city's central plaza in Chiapas.
Agua Azul
The Agua Azul cascades are a series of waterfalls on the Xanil River in Chiapas, in Tumbalá municipality about 69 km from Palenque, near Federal Highway 199.
Misol Há
About 20 km from Palenque on the road to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Misol-Há is a single 35-meter waterfall dropping into a nearly round pool amid tropical vegetation.
Temple of the Inscriptions
At the Maya site of Palenque, the Temple of the Inscriptions is a stepped pyramid built as the funerary monument of Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal, who ruled the city in the 7th century.
Palenque National Park
Palenque National Park protects about 1,772 hectares around the Palenque archaeological zone in Chiapas. It was established by presidential decree in July 1981.
Arriving in Balancán
Museo de Balancán Dr. José Gómez Panaco
Museo de Balancán Dr. José Gómez Panaco is an archaeology museum in the town of Balancán de Domínguez, in the Mexican state of Tabasco.
More drives to Balancán
- Córdoba, Mexico to Balancán
- Orizaba to Balancán
- Xico to Balancán
- Puebla to Balancán
- Cholula to Balancán
- Zacatelco to Balancán
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 is the drive from Tuxtla to Balancán?
About 5 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 229 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tuxtla to Balancán?
About 229 miles (369 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 Balancán?
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 Balancán?
The U.S. State Department rates Chiapas Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Tabasco 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 Balancán use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-190D, MEX-199 and MEX-186. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tuxtla and Balancán?
Closest to the road: San Cristobal Cathedral (cathedral, mile 37, 1 mi from the route); Agua Azul (waterfall, mile 130, 1 mi from the route); Misol Há (waterfall, mile 155, 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.