By road, Actopan and Cuajinicuilapa are about 400 miles (644 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 54 min of driving.
| Distance | 400 mi (644 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 54 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-85 → MEX-85D → EM 12 → Viaducto → MEX-95D → MEX-95 → MEX-198 → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Mexico City, Morelos, Guerrero |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-85D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa is like
MEX-95D (157 mi) and MEX-200 (87 mi) carry about 61% of the 400 miles. It runs through 5 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Mexico City, Morelos, Guerrero. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-85D and MEX-95D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 2–37 | 35 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85D | 37–53 | 16 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 53–58 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| EM 12 | 58–66 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 66–70 | 4 | State of Mexico, Mexico City |
| connecting roads | 70–76 | 6 | Mexico City |
| local roads | 76–83 | 7 | Mexico City |
| Viaducto | 83–86 | 3 | Mexico City |
| MEX-95D | 86–108 | 22 | Mexico City, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 108–117 | 9 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 117–126 | 9 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 126–234 | 108 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| MEX-95 | 234–240 | 6 | Guerrero |
| MEX-95D | 240–267 | 27 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 267–269 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-198 | 269–293 | 24 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 293–313 | 20 | Guerrero |
| MEX-200 | 313–400 | 87 | Guerrero |
- Mile 43 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 68 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 103 of this route: Mexico City → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 155 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
Places worth a stop between Actopan and Cuajinicuilapa
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares (mile 81), Cuetlajuchitlán (mile 180), Chilpancingo Cathedral (mile 237)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 19)
- Museums and history: Tlatelolco (mile 70), Museo Nacional de las Culturas (mile 76), Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares (mile 81), Museo Dolores Olmedo (mile 89), Xochicalco (mile 134), Cuetlajuchitlán (mile 180), Chilpancingo Cathedral (mile 237)
Parque Cultural Hidalguense
Formerly Parque David Ben Gurión, Pachuca's Parque Cultural Hidalguense reopened in 2025 after a major renovation, with a monumental chess board, an artificial lake with fountains, a skate park and Byron Gálvez's restored artwork known as el Pisal.
Tlatelolco
Centered on the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Tlatelolco is an archaeological excavation site in Mexico City with remains of the pre-Columbian city-state of the same name.
Museo Nacional de las Culturas
Housed in a colonial-era building that once served as the mint, the Museo Nacional de las Culturas in Mexico City explores the world's cultures, past and present.
Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares
Mexico City's Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares explores the country's ethnic and cultural diversity, from Indigenous peoples to regional and social traditions.
Museo Dolores Olmedo
In Xochimilco, the Museo Dolores Olmedo is an art museum built around the collection of Mexican businesswoman Dolores Olmedo.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Cuetlajuchitlán
Discovered in 1991 while the Autopista del Sol was being built, Cuetlajuchitlán (Los Querende) preserves plazas, ritual baths, sunken courtyards and pink stone walls with drainage channels from a settlement that peaked between 200 BC and AD 200.
Chilpancingo Cathedral
Chilpancingo's neoclassical cathedral of the Assumption hosted the Congress of Anáhuac in 1813, a key moment of the independence movement whose work led to the Apatzingán Constitution, with its ideas of popular sovereignty and separation of powers.
More drives to Cuajinicuilapa
- Orizaba to Cuajinicuilapa
- Tepoztlán to Cuajinicuilapa
- Tetela del Volcán to Cuajinicuilapa
- Córdoba, Mexico to Cuajinicuilapa
- Atlixco to Cuajinicuilapa
- Huejotzingo to Cuajinicuilapa
From Actopan to other places in Mexico
- Actopan to Otumba
- Actopan to Cadereyta
- Actopan to Ezequiel Montes
- Actopan to Amealco
- Actopan to Pedro Escobedo
- Actopan to El Oro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa?
About 7 h 54 min of driving without stops, over 400 miles.
What is the driving distance from Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa?
About 400 miles (644 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 Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa?
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 Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa?
The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa?
In order: MEX-85, MEX-85D, EM 12, Viaducto, MEX-95D, MEX-95, MEX-198 and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Actopan to Cuajinicuilapa?
Closest to the road: Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares (museum, mile 81, 1 mi from the route); Cuetlajuchitlán (archaeological site, mile 180, 0.1 mi from the route); Chilpancingo Cathedral (cathedral, mile 237, 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.