Town Ixtacuixtla de Mariano Matamoros, Tlaxcala Municipality of Ixtacuixtla de Mariano Matamoros Volcano Route Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl Puebla Valley
Second-largest locality in Ixtacuixtla (5,122 people in 2020), on highway 117 between Tlaxcala and San Martín Texmelucan.
From San Martín Texmelucan: 10 min by car (12 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to Santa Justina Ecatepec
Where to stay near Santa Justina Ecatepec
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Santa Justina Ecatepec.
Tours to Santa Justina Ecatepec
Day trips around Huejotzingo sometimes stop in Santa Justina Ecatepec; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Puebla City
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How to get to Santa Justina Ecatepec
- From San Martín Texmelucan: about 10 min by road (~12 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 7 min by car to Huejotzingo
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Tours from Puebla City, near Santa Justina Ecatepec
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About Santa Justina Ecatepec
With 5,122 residents at the 2020 census, Santa Justina Ecatepec is the second-largest locality in the municipality of Ixtacuixtla de Mariano Matamoros, after the seat, Villa Mariano Matamoros, which has 6,946. At about 2,252 metres above sea level, it has grown from 397 people in 1900 to 3,144 in 1990 and 4,616 in 2010. The name combines the titular saint, Justina of Padua according to Wikipedia's entry, with ecatepec, a Nahuatl word explained as hill of the wind god, Ehécatl.
In colonial times it belonged to the curacy of San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, together with Tenexeca, Nopalucan and Tecuexcomac, and around 1779 the Enciclopedia de los Municipios notes that these villages held no communal land. Today the municipal listing places it among the manufacturing and construction localities, and its community president is chosen by usos y costumbres. Old haciendas lie around it: La Compañía, 1.2 km along the road to San Mateo Tepetitla, and San Juan Molino, 3 km along the same way.
At the corner where the local street meets the highway stands a green road sign pointing both ways, Texmelucan on one side and Tlaxcala on the other, with the number 117. The Enciclopedia records the municipality's feast of Santa Justina on 26 September and of San Felipe Apóstol on 1 May, and at carnival the camadas dance in tailcoats, top hats, masks and umbrellas. Ixtacuixtla's crafts include paper flowers, basketry, piñatas and alebrijes.
How to get to Santa Justina Ecatepec
Drive from San Martín Texmelucan: 10 min, 12 km
Santa Justina Ecatepec lies on highway 117, Tlaxcala-Popocatla-San Martín Texmelucan, the route the Enciclopedia de los Municipios gives for reaching Ixtacuixtla, about 15 km from Tlaxcala city. From Tlaxcala it is about 12 miles, roughly 19 km, and around 18 minutes by car or taxi according to Rome2Rio. From San Martín Texmelucan, drive the same road the other way; the sign at the junction in the village points to Texmelucan one way and Tlaxcala the other. The municipal seat, Villa Mariano Matamoros, is a little over 1 km away in a straight line, and Santa Inés Tecuexcomac about 2 km. There are no published bus or colectivo schedules reaching the village; the clearest options are a car or a taxi.
Directions to Santa Justina Ecatepec on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Santa Justina Ecatepec
- San Martín Texmelucan · 12 km by road, 10 min
- Chiautempan · 24 km by road, 25 min
- Puebla · 41 km by road, 45 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of Santa Justina Ecatepec
Neighbourhoods and villages of Santa Justina Ecatepec
Part of Santa Justina Ecatepec or just outside it, closest first.
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Santa Ana Nopalucan · Town · 2 km from the centre
Municipal seat in south-western Tlaxcala, a former producer of reed and salt, with the church of Santa Ana and a feast on 26 July. -
Santa Inés Tecuexcomac · Town · 2 km from the centre
Ixtacuixtla locality of 3,079 people, with the church of Santa Inés on the Tlaxcala-San Martín road and a farming economy. -
San Antonio Tizostoc · Village · 3 km from the centre
Village at 2,252 m in Ixtacuixtla, with a church of St Anthony of Padua near the Tlaxcala–San Martín Texmelucan highway. -
Villa Mariano Matamoros · Town · 3 km from the centre
Seat of Ixtacuixtla, with the Franciscan ex-convent of San Felipe (1554-1585) and the tile-covered Calvario church and staircase. -
San Antonio Tecóac · Village · 4 km from the centre
Locality of 1,052 people in Ixtacuixtla; its Nahuatl name means "in the stone serpent" and its patron is St Anthony of Padua. -
San Gabriel Popocatla · Village · 4 km from the centre
Ixtacuixtla village in western Tlaxcala, known for papier-mâché workshops that build catrinas up to 4 m tall, alebrijes and piñatas. -
San Jorge Tezoquipan · Town · 4 km from the centre
Second-largest locality in Panotla, 4,881 people in 2020, with a church of San Jorge and a Nahuatl name meaning "on the rocky mud".
Day trips and tours from Santa Justina Ecatepec
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Santa Justina Ecatepec and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around Santa Justina Ecatepec
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and November.
- 3 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Santa Justina Ecatepec.
Before you go to Santa Justina Ecatepec: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Feast of Santa Justina on 26 September (municipal patrons); San Felipe Apóstol on 1 May; carnival in February or March. Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Santa Justina Ecatepec: what to see and do
See the church of Santa Justina Ecatepec
Look for the highway 117 junction sign, with Texmelucan and Tlaxcala
Take the road to San Mateo Tepetitla, where the haciendas of La Compañía and San Juan Molino stand
Visit the church of San Felipe Apóstol in Villa Mariano Matamoros, the municipal seat
Buy paper flowers, basketry, piñatas or alebrijes from Ixtacuixtla's workshops
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Santa Justina Ecatepec
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santa Justina Ecatepec.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Huejotzingo sometimes stop in Santa Justina Ecatepec; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 7 min by road to Huejotzingo, then 18 km more to Santa Justina Ecatepec, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 7 min by road from Huejotzingo, the base for Santa Justina Ecatepec.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huejotzingo: download a map of the way to Santa Justina Ecatepec before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Santa Justina Ecatepec mild
Santa Justina Ecatepec shares the climate of Huejotzingo, 18 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Huejotzingo
Weather in Santa Justina Ecatepec now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huejotzingo
Huejotzingo is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Santa Justina Ecatepec, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
Near Santa Justina Ecatepec
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.