Villahermosa to Tlaxcala Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 12 October, 2026

By road, Villahermosa and Tlaxcala are about 414 miles (667 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 41 min of driving.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tabasco — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. See the full advisory for current details.
La VentaHuatuscoTeatro Pedro DíazVeracruz State Art MuseumCañón del Río Blanco National ParkCasa del MendrugoConvento de HuejotzingoParque ecológico Los LadrillosVillahermosaTlaxcala
Route from Villahermosa to Tlaxcala with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance414 mi (667 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops6 h 41 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-119D
Mexican states on the routeTabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-119D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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.

On the road from Villahermosa to Tlaxcala

MEX-145D (143 mi) and MEX-150D (143 mi) carry about 69% of the 414 miles. It runs through 4 states: Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

Roads you'll take from Villahermosa to Tlaxcala

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Tabasco
MEX-1802–4038Tabasco
MEX-180D40–7434Tabasco
MEX-18074–9319Tabasco, Veracruz
MEX-180D93–11421Veracruz
MEX-145D114–257143Veracruz
MEX-150D257–400143Veracruz, Puebla
connecting roads400–4011Puebla
MEX-119D401–41110Puebla, Tlaxcala
local roads411–4143Tlaxcala
  • Mile 76 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
  • Mile 324 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 403 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Villahermosa and Tlaxcala

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 311), Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 405)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 311), Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 405)
  • Museums and history: La Venta (mile 73), Huatusco (mile 263), Veracruz State Art Museum (mile 301), Casa del Mendrugo (mile 393)

La Venta

Mile 73 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

La Venta was an important city of the Olmec civilization, in Tabasco near Huimanguillo. Its site museum displays more than 200 artifacts, including monumental sandstone sculptures found at the foot of the main pyramid.

Huatusco

Mile 263 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Above the Atoyac River in Carrillo Puerto, the ruins of Huatusco (Cuauhtochco) include a Mexica-era temple that still keeps original surface finishes. There are no visitor facilities; reaching it means crossing a suspension bridge and climbing a steep trail, ideally with a local guide.

Teatro Pedro Díaz

Mile 290 · Theater · 2 mi from the route

In downtown Córdoba, the Teatro Pedro Díaz was built in the late 19th century by Pedro Díaz to a design by engineer A. Durán; its facade was remodeled in 1905.

Veracruz State Art Museum

Mile 301 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

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.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 311 · National park · 0.5 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.

Casa del Mendrugo

Mile 393 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Dating back to the early years of Puebla, founded in 1531, the Casa del Mendrugo is a historic house at 4 Sur 304 in the city's historic center.

Convento de Huejotzingo

Mile 402 · Convent · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos

Mile 405 · Park · 0.5 mi from the route

Opened on April 2, 2015, Los Ladrillos Ecological Park is a nature reserve in the municipality of Zacatelco, in Tlaxcala.

In Tlaxcala itself

Exconvento de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves

Convent · in Tlaxcala

The remains of this 16th-century convent stand in San Juan Totolac, Tlaxcala, and are open to visitors. Parts of the nave, two side chapels and a freestanding bell tower survive; in 1591 Tlaxcalan families left here to settle northern New Spain.

Teatro Xicohténcatl

Theater · in Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala's Teatro Xicohténcatl opened in 1873 and was reopened in 1888 after remodeling. Look up to see John Fulton's ceiling mural of the nine muses, painted in Art Nouveau style against a Tlaxcalan landscape.

Tlaxcala Cathedral

Cathedral · in Tlaxcala

Part of a 16th-century Franciscan complex among the earliest in the Americas, Tlaxcala's cathedral is famous for its carved Mudéjar-style wooden ceiling. Look for the freestanding bell tower and the stone font where Tlaxcalan lords were baptized.

More drives to Tlaxcala

From Villahermosa to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Villahermosa to Tlaxcala?

About 6 h 41 min of driving without stops, over 414 miles.

How far is Tlaxcala from Villahermosa by car?

About 414 miles (667 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 Villahermosa to Tlaxcala?

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 Villahermosa to Tlaxcala?

The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Villahermosa to Tlaxcala use?

In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D and MEX-119D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Villahermosa to Tlaxcala?

Closest to the road: Veracruz State Art Museum (art museum, mile 301, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 311, 0.5 mi from the route); Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (park, mile 405, 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.