Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 12 October, 2026

Plan on about 6 h 39 min of driving for the 400-mile (644 km) trip from Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo, before any stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; 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.
HuatuscoCañón del Río Blanco National ParkMuseo Poblano de Arte VirreinalXochitecatlParque Ecológico CubitosEx monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pachuca de Soto, HidalgoEl Chico National ParkCoatzacoalcosHuasca de Ocampo
Route from Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance400 mi (644 km)
Drive time without stops6 h 39 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-185 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.0 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 Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo is like

MEX-150D (158 mi) and MEX-145D (142 mi) carry about 75% of the 400 miles. It runs through 5 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

Which roads connect Coatzacoalcos and Huasca de Ocampo

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22
MEX-1852–1210Veracruz
connecting roads12–131Veracruz
MEX-180D13–163Veracruz
MEX-145D16–158142Veracruz
MEX-150D158–316158Veracruz, Puebla
MEX-M40D316–36246Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-132362–3653State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-88365–38217Hidalgo
local roads382–3853Hidalgo
MEX-105385–39510Hidalgo
local roads395–4005Hidalgo
  • Mile 227 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 321 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 344 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 351 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 363 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Breaking up the drive: stops between Coatzacoalcos and Huasca de Ocampo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 214), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 382)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 214), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 382), El Chico National Park (mile 390)
  • Museums and history: Huatusco (mile 165), Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal (mile 296), Xochitecatl (mile 311)

Huatusco

Mile 165 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Getting to the ruins of Huatusco (Cuauhtochco) means crossing a suspension bridge and hiking a steep trail; a local guide is a good idea, and there are no visitor facilities. The Mexica-era temple keeps its original finishes.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 214 · National park · 0.4 mi from the route

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.

Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal

Mile 296 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Puebla's San Pedro Museo de Arte, formerly the Museo Poblano de Arte Virreinal, opened in 2000 and focuses on New Spanish painting, with galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Xochitecatl

Mile 311 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.

Parque Ecológico Cubitos

Mile 382 · Park · 0.7 mi from the route

Between Pachuca de Soto and Mineral de la Reforma, Parque Ecológico Cubitos is a 90-hectare protected natural area whose public section has a botanical garden, an arboretum, a herpetarium, a farm, a maze, a zip line and a bike path.

Ex monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo

Mile 385 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The Templo y exconvento de San Francisco in Pachuca de Soto is mainly Baroque, with touches of Churrigueresque and Neoclassical style. Construction began in 1596 under Fray Francisco de Torantos, who chose the style of its facade and windows.

El Chico National Park

Mile 390 · National park · 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.

In Huasca de Ocampo itself

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 Coatzacoalcos to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

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

About 6 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 400 miles.

How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Coatzacoalcos by car?

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 Coatzacoalcos 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 Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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.

Which highways go from Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo?

In order: MEX-185, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Coatzacoalcos to Huasca de Ocampo?

Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 214, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque Ecológico Cubitos (park, mile 382, 0.7 mi from the route); Ex monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo (convent, mile 385, 1 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.