Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo Road Trip

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo is 399 miles (642 km), about 6 h 58 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Huasca de Ocampo. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Museo Regional de AguascalientesCelaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasSala Histórica QuetzalcóatlBioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, HidalgoMonumental Clock of PachucaEl Chico National ParkLa Dificultad Mine MuseumGuadalupe, ZacatecasHuasca de Ocampo
Route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance399 mi (642 km)
Driving time, no stops6 h 58 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105
Mexican states on the routeZacatecas (Level 4), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo is like

MEX-45D (163 mi) and MEX-45 (58 mi) carry about 55% of the 399 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-85, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Zacatecas
MEX-45D4–2521Zacatecas
MEX-4525–5328Zacatecas, Aguascalientes
local roads53–574Aguascalientes
MEX-4557–8730Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D87–229142Jalisco, Guanajuato
MEX-47D229–28152Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D281–31635Querétaro, State of Mexico
connecting roads316–3182Hidalgo
MEX-M40D318–36446Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-85364–37511Hidalgo
local roads375–3838Hidalgo
MEX-105383–39310Hidalgo
local roads393–3996Hidalgo
  • Mile 30 of this route: Zacatecas → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 83 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 132 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 242 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 283 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 316 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 345 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 360 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Guadalupe, Zacatecas and Huasca de Ocampo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 68), La Dificultad Mine Museum (mile 390)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 240), El Chico National Park (mile 388)
  • Museums and history: Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 68), Celaya Cathedral (mile 217), Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (mile 328), Monumental Clock of Pachuca (mile 383), La Dificultad Mine Museum (mile 390)
  • With kids: Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo (mile 378)

Museo Regional de Aguascalientes

Mile 68 · History museum · 0.3 mi from the route

An early 20th-century building by self-taught architect Refugio Reyes holds this INAH museum of Aguascalientes history, with fossils, archaeological finds, colonial paintings by Juan Correa and more than 300 devotional ex-voto paintings.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 217 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 240 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl

Mile 328 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

The Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl is an archaeological museum located in Tula de Allende, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo

Mile 378 · Zoo · 2 mi from the route

Pachuca's Bioparque de Convivencia is a rescue and recovery center for wild, exotic and endemic animals saved from abuse, abandonment or risk, housing a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation unit.

Monumental Clock of Pachuca

Mile 383 · Monument · 1 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 388 · 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.

La Dificultad Mine Museum

Mile 390 · Museum · 0.6 mi from the route

At the La Dificultad mine in Mineral del Monte, a site museum and interpretation center tells the area's mining and hospital history, showing how the mines moved from steam power to electricity.

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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo?

About 6 h 58 min of driving without stops, over 399 miles.

How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Guadalupe, Zacatecas by car?

About 399 miles (642 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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas 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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo?

The U.S. State Department rates Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Huasca de Ocampo use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-45, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-85 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Guadalupe, Zacatecas and Huasca de Ocampo?

Closest to the road: Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (history museum, mile 68, 0.3 mi from the route); Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (museum, mile 328, 1 mi from the route); La Dificultad Mine Museum (museum, mile 390, 0.6 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.