The Wayro route from Actopan to Tlaltizapán is 155 miles (249 km), about 3 h 27 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 155 mi (249 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 27 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-85 → MEX-85D → MEX-5D → MEX-115 → MOR 4 |
| Mexican states on the route | Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-85D, MEX-5D, MEX-115D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 6.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Tlaltizapán is like
MEX-85 (35 mi) and MEX-5D (33 mi) carry about 44% of the 155 miles. MEX-85D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-85, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Actopan to Tlaltizapán, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 2–37 | 35 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85D | 37–57 | 20 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 57–58 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-5D | 58–91 | 33 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 91–92 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 92–108 | 16 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 108–122 | 14 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| MEX-115 | 122–135 | 13 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 135–139 | 4 | Morelos |
| MOR 4 | 139–154 | 15 | Morelos |
| local roads | 154–155 | 1 | Morelos |
- Mile 43 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 116 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Actopan and Tlaltizapán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl (mile 126), Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol (mile 126)
- Nature and outdoors: El Chico National Park (mile 17), Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park (mile 80), Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (mile 104)
- Museums and history: Mexican Air Force Museum (mile 48), Luis Barragán House and Studio (mile 69)
El Chico National Park
In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.
Mexican Air Force Museum
At Santa Lucía Air Base, the Military Aviation Museum, run by the Secretariat of National Defense, displays historical material from the Mexican Air Force.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
Luis Barragán House and Studio
Luis Barragán built his own house and studio in Mexico City in 1948, blending modern design with Mexican vernacular touches. The concrete house and its private garden joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.
Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park
Named for Antonio Flores de Valdés, who inherited the estate in 1642, this former hacienda and mill near Texcoco became a national park in 1937. Visitors walk among its ruins, the San Joaquín church remains and a chapel built on rock.
Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad
Bosque de los Árboles de Navidad in Amecameca, State of Mexico, is a tourist park with a greenhouse, covering about 400 hectares.
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol
Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.
When you get to Tlaltizapán
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.
More drives to Tlaltizapán
- Tetela del Volcán to Tlaltizapán
- Atlixco to Tlaltizapán
- Mexico City to Tlaltizapán
- Metepec to Tlaltizapán
- Zacatelco to Tlaltizapán
- Tlaxcala to Tlaltizapán
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 is the drive from Actopan to Tlaltizapán?
About 3 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 155 miles.
How far is Tlaltizapán from Actopan by car?
About 155 miles (249 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 Tlaltizapán?
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 Tlaltizapán?
The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Actopan to Tlaltizapán use?
In order: MEX-85, MEX-85D, MEX-5D, MEX-115 and MOR 4. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Actopan and Tlaltizapán?
Closest to the road: Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (park, mile 104, 1 mi from the route); Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl (world Heritage Site, mile 126, 0.8 mi from the route); Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol (convent, mile 126, 0.8 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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.