The Wayro route from Cuautla to Zitácuaro is 136 miles (219 km), about 2 h 57 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 136 mi (219 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 57 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 → MEX-55 → MEX-A7D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-A7D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 5.4 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 Cuautla to Zitácuaro is like
MEX-A7D (34 mi) and MEX-160D (20 mi) carry about 40% of the 136 miles. MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-A7D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-106, MEX-200, MEX-55, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuautla to Zitácuaro, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 4–24 | 20 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 24–25 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 25–35 | 10 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 35–36 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-106 | 36–54 | 18 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 54–58 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 58–63 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 63–66 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 66–73 | 7 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 73–74 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 74–80 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 80–89 | 9 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-A7D | 89–123 | 34 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 123–130 | 7 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 130–134 | 4 | Michoacán |
| local roads | 134–136 | 2 | Michoacán |
- Mile 48 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 121 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
Stops between Cuautla and Zitácuaro
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 8), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45)
- Nature and outdoors: El Tepozteco National Park (mile 20), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 47), La Marquesa National Park (mile 66), Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (mile 129)
- Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 20), Xochicalco (mile 41)
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.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
El Tepozteco
High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.
El Tepozteco National Park
Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.
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.
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.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
La Marquesa National Park
Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies from across North America return to the oyamel fir forests about 100 km northwest of Mexico City, clustering so densely they bend branches. The reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
More drives to Zitácuaro
- San Juan del Río to Zitácuaro
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zitácuaro
- Zacatecas to Zitácuaro
- Fresnillo to Zitácuaro
- Durango to Zitácuaro
- Mazatlán to Zitácuaro
From Cuautla to other places in Mexico
- Cuautla to Malinalco
- Cuautla to Metepec
- Cuautla to Tlalpujahua
- Cuautla to Amealco
- Cuautla to Tequisquiapan
- Cuautla to Pedro Escobedo
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuautla to Zitácuaro?
About 2 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 136 miles.
How far is Zitácuaro from Cuautla by car?
About 136 miles (219 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 Cuautla to Zitácuaro?
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 Cuautla to Zitácuaro?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cuautla to Zitácuaro use?
In order: MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200, EM 44, MEX-55, MEX-A7D, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuautla and Zitácuaro?
Closest to the road: Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 8, 0.8 mi from the route); El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 20, 1 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 45, 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.