Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo is 93 miles (149 km), about 1 h 59 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Huasca de Ocampo. See the full advisory for current details.
Aqueduct of Padre TemblequeChurch and former convent of Todos los SantosParque Cultural HidalguenseCentro Interactivo Mundo FutbolMonumental Clock of PachucaEl Chico National ParkEl HilocheApizacoHuasca de Ocampo
Route from Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance93 mi (149 km)
Driving time, no stops1 h 59 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105
Mexican states on the routeTlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 3.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

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.

What the drive from Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo is like

MEX-136 (26 mi) and MEX-M40D (26 mi) carry about 56% of the 93 miles. MEX-M40D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-136, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Tlaxcala
MEX-1361–2726Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D27–5326Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads53–541State of Mexico
MEX-13254–584State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-8858–7315Hidalgo
local roads73–774Hidalgo
MEX-10577–8710Hidalgo
local roads87–936Hidalgo
  • Mile 35 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 43 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 55 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Apizaco and Huasca de Ocampo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Church and former convent of Todos los Santos (mile 61), El Hiloche (mile 82)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 73), El Chico National Park (mile 82), El Hiloche (mile 82)
  • Museums and history: Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 73), Monumental Clock of Pachuca (mile 78)

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 55 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Church and former convent of Todos los Santos

Mile 61 · Convent · 0.6 mi from the route

Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.

Parque Cultural Hidalguense

Mile 73 · Park · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol

Mile 73 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Centro Interactivo Mundo Fútbol is an interactive museum devoted to soccer, located in the city of Pachuca de Soto in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Monumental Clock of Pachuca

Mile 78 · Monument · 2 mi from the route

Rising over Plaza Independencia in Pachuca's historic center, the Monumental Clock tower was built between 1904 and 1910 to mark the centennial of Mexico's War of Independence.

El Chico National Park

Mile 82 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

El Hiloche

Mile 82 · State park · 0.4 mi from the route

Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.

When you get to Huasca de Ocampo

Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla

Waterfall · in Huasca de Ocampo

Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.

More drives to Huasca de Ocampo

From Apizaco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo?

About 1 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 93 miles.

How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Apizaco by car?

About 93 miles (149 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 Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo?

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 Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo?

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

What roads does the drive from Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo use?

In order: MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Apizaco and Huasca de Ocampo?

Closest to the road: Church and former convent of Todos los Santos (convent, mile 61, 0.6 mi from the route); Monumental Clock of Pachuca (monument, mile 78, 2 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 82, 0.4 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.