Plan on about 8 h 5 min of driving for the 511-mile (823 km) trip from Tuxtla to Otumba, before any stops.
| Distance | 511 mi (823 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 5 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-187D → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D |
| 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 20.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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.
Driving Tuxtla to Otumba: the shape of the trip
MEX-150D (157 mi) and MEX-145D (142 mi) carry about 59% of the 511 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 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Tuxtla to Otumba
| 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 | 463–501 | 38 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 501–511 | 10 | State of Mexico |
- 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)
Where to stop on the way to Otumba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 360)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 360)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (mile 339), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 350), Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal (mile 442), Cacaxtla (mile 457), Xochitecatl (mile 457)
Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz
An octagonal dome covered in tiles crowns Córdoba's Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the city's main church, 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.
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.
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.
Xochitecatl
Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.
When you get to Otumba
Pyramid of the Sun
Rising along the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, the Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, believed to date to about AD 200.
Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba
The Museo del Ferrocarril en Otumba is a museum in the town of Otumba de Gómez Farías devoted, as its name says, to the railroad.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
More drives to Otumba
- Mexico City to Otumba
- Tepotzotlán to Otumba
- Toluca to Otumba
- Metepec to Otumba
- Jilotepec to Otumba
- Cuernavaca to Otumba
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 Otumba?
About 8 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 511 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tuxtla to Otumba?
About 511 miles (823 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 Otumba?
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 Otumba?
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 Otumba use?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-187D, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D and MEX-M40D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tuxtla and Otumba?
Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 350, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Llave (theater, mile 352, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 360, 0.5 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.