Is Oaxaca safe? Mexico travel risk
Is Oaxaca safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Oaxaca scores 57/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Mexico Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 29 May 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 13 Oct 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. CDC travel health notice: Level 1, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Mexico (23 Dec 2025). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Oaxaca scores 57/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Mexico (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Oaxaca: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (60/100) and crime and scams (69/100).
A score of 57 is higher than 78% of the cities we score.
Consult the Mexico travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Territorial & Position Context
In the Oaxaca territory, Oaxaca is established at 17.0606° N, 96.7253° W. It lies 366.4 km NW relative to Mexico City. Time zone observed: America/Mexico_City.
Oaxaca
17.0606° N, 96.7253° W
1571 m
America/Mexico_City
300,050
Critical Services & Regional Transit
Adjacent Localities in Mexico
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Most earthquake events within 100 km of Oaxaca happened in February, March, May and August (4 of 4 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
4 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M5.8 on 2 Aug 2025 (49 km away) — USGS details
- Most recent: M5.7 on 8 Feb 2026 (123 km away) — USGS details
CDC Traveler Health Notices for Mexico
- Level 1 - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Mexico (Level 1, 23 Dec 2025)
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Domain).
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Mexico travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Mexico entry requirements.
Regional Centers with Threat Ratings
Calculate personalized safety score for Oaxaca
Run our threat engine with tailored traveler parameters.
Launch Calculator