The Wayro route from Cuanajo to Ocuituco is 258 miles (416 km), about 5 h 21 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 258 mi (416 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-14 → MEX-126 → MEX-48D → MEX-15D → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → EM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-115 → MOR 10 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-48D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.3 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 Cuanajo to Ocuituco is like
MEX-15D (77 mi) and MEX-55D (34 mi) carry about 43% of the 258 miles. MEX-48D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-14, MEX-126, MEX-55, MEX-200, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuanajo to Ocuituco, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Michoacán |
| MEX-14 | 4–29 | 25 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 29–30 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-126 | 30–34 | 4 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 34–35 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-48D | 35–50 | 15 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 50–127 | 77 | Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 127–130 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 130–164 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 164–170 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 170–176 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 176–185 | 9 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 185–187 | 2 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 187–192 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 192–196 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 196–211 | 15 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 211–218 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 218–224 | 6 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 224–245 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-115 | 245–249 | 4 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 249–252 | 3 | Morelos |
| MOR 10 | 252–258 | 6 | Morelos |
- Mile 109 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 204 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Cuanajo and Ocuituco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Regional Michoacano (mile 29), Teatro Ocampo de Morelia (mile 29), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 205), Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 240)
- Nature and outdoors: Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón National Park (mile 37), Rayón National Park (mile 106), Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 170), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 205)
- Museums and history: Museo Regional Michoacano (mile 29), Teatro Ocampo de Morelia (mile 29), Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 170), Cuernavaca Cathedral (mile 217), Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca (mile 217)
Museo Regional Michoacano
In the historic center of Morelia, the Museo Regional Michoacano is a long-running museum focused on the history of Michoacán.
Teatro Ocampo de Morelia
Morelia's Teatro Ocampo is a historic theater originally built from 1828 to 1830 by architect Luis Zapari and later rebuilt between 1868 and 1870.
Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón National Park
Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón National Park protects about 72 square kilometers of mountain terrain in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in Michoacán.
Rayón National Park
Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.
Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México
Set in the Parque de los Matlatzincas on Cerro del Calvario, the Natural Sciences Museum of the State of Mexico explores biology, geology and the preservation of natural resources.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
Cuernavaca Cathedral
Franciscans built this 16th-century convent church, now Cuernavaca's cathedral and part of the UNESCO-listed monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl; visitors can see its murals, side chapels and a sacred art museum.
Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca
The Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca is a photography museum in Cuernavaca, Morelos, housed in a building that resembles a French-style castle.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In Oaxtepec, the Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is among the first convents the Dominicans built in Mexico, and its walls preserve extensive fresco painting from the colonial era.
When you get to Ocuituco
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
More drives to Ocuituco
- Tepoztlán to Ocuituco
- Cuernavaca to Ocuituco
- Mexico City to Ocuituco
- Zacatelco to Ocuituco
- Tlaxcala to Ocuituco
- Chiautempan to Ocuituco
From Cuanajo to other places in Mexico
- Cuanajo to Temacapulín
- Cuanajo to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Cuanajo to Real de Asientos
- Cuanajo to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Cuanajo to Mineral de Pozos
- Cuanajo to Bernal
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuanajo to Ocuituco?
About 5 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 258 miles.
How far is Ocuituco from Cuanajo by car?
About 258 miles (416 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 Cuanajo to Ocuituco?
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 Cuanajo to Ocuituco?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; 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 Cuanajo to Ocuituco use?
In order: MEX-14, MEX-126, MEX-48D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-55, EM 44, MEX-200, MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-115 and MOR 10. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuanajo and Ocuituco?
Closest to the road: Museo Regional Michoacano (museum, mile 29, 0.1 mi from the route); Teatro Ocampo de Morelia (opera house, mile 29, 0.2 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 205, 0.3 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.