The Wayro route from Linares to Omitlán is 475 miles (764 km), about 9 h 29 min of driving without stops.
What the State Department tells travelers on this route:
- Nuevo León: “Those traveling between the U.S. border and Monterrey on highways 85/85D, 54, and 40/40D should exercise caution and avoid travel after dark.”
- Nuevo León: “Armed robberies and carjackings have occurred along these highways even during daylight hours.”
| Total distance | 475 mi (764 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 29 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-85 → MEX-83 → MEX-81 → MEX-80 → TAM 143 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-130D → MEX-132D → MEX-130 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D, MEX-130D, MEX-132D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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.
How the Linares to Omitlán drive plays out
MEX-132D (88 mi) and MEX-85 (79 mi) carry about 35% of the 475 miles. It runs through 5 states: Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-130D and MEX-132D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Linares to Omitlán: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Nuevo León |
| MEX-85 | 1–80 | 79 | Nuevo León, Tamaulipas |
| MEX-83 | 80–137 | 57 | Tamaulipas |
| MEX-81 | 137–188 | 51 | Tamaulipas |
| MEX-80 | 188–221 | 33 | Tamaulipas |
| TAM 143 | 221–234 | 13 | Tamaulipas |
| local roads | 234–240 | 6 | Tamaulipas |
| MEX-180 | 240–278 | 38 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 278–308 | 30 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 308–342 | 34 | Veracruz |
| MEX-130D | 342–357 | 15 | Veracruz |
| MEX-132D | 357–445 | 88 | Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo |
| MEX-130 | 445–465 | 20 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 465–470 | 5 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 470–475 | 5 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 15 of this route: Nuevo León → Tamaulipas (state line)
- Mile 240 of this route: Tamaulipas → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 366 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 421 of this route: Puebla → Hidalgo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Linares and Omitlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Huapalcalco (mile 437)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca (mile 466)
- Museums and history: Tampico Cathedral (mile 239), Aduana de Tampico (mile 239), El Tajín (mile 357), Huapalcalco (mile 437), Tulancingo Cathedral (mile 439), Templo y exconvento de San Andrés Apóstol (mile 456), Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH (mile 466)
Tampico Cathedral
Facing the Plaza de Armas in Tampico's historic center, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the city's main church and a downtown landmark.
Aduana de Tampico
Tampico's old customs house is a Porfirian-era building on the north bank of the Pánuco River mouth that began operating in 1902. Its ground floor now holds a museum on the 1829 Battle of Tampico, with a period cannon, weapons and uniforms.
El Tajín
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, El Tajín peaked from the early 9th to the early 13th century. Look for the Pyramid of the Niches, elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes, and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.
Huapalcalco
About 5 kilometers north of Tulancingo, the pre-Columbian site of Huapalcalco sits on the western slope of a hill called Tecolote.
Tulancingo Cathedral
Tulancingo Cathedral grew from a 16th-century Franciscan mission. The present church, designed by architect José Damián Ortiz de Castro and consecrated in 1806, has an unusual Neoclassical portico with Ionic columns and a triangular pediment.
Templo y exconvento de San Andrés Apóstol
Augustinian friars raised this 16th-century church and convent in Epazoyucan, Hidalgo; the complex keeps its posa chapels, open chapel and atrium, and its stonework mixes Plateresque carving with Indigenous tequitqui craftsmanship.
Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca
The Jardín de los Niños Héroes is a public park in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH
Inside the central building of the state university in downtown Pachuca, the UAEH Mineralogy Museum displays minerals and rocks and is one of the longest-running museums of its kind in Mexico.
Once you reach Omitlán
Paste Museum
The Museo del Paste in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, is a food museum that shares and promotes the culinary and historical legacy of the paste.
La Dificultad Mine Museum
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.
Acosta Mine Museum
In Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, the Museo de Sitio Mina de Acosta is devoted to the history of mining and is run by Pachuca's Archivo Histórico y Museo de Minería.
More drives to Omitlán
- Tulancingo to Omitlán
- Otumba to Omitlán
- Tepotzotlán to Omitlán
- Mexico City to Omitlán
- Jilotepec to Omitlán
- Zimapán to Omitlán
From Linares to other places in Mexico
- Linares to Pinos
- Linares to Mineral de Pozos
- Linares to Pinal de Amoles
- Linares to San Juan de los Lagos
- Linares to Jerez, Zacatecas
- Linares to Calvillo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Linares to Omitlán?
About 9 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 475 miles.
How far is Omitlán from Linares by car?
About 475 miles (764 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 Linares to Omitlán?
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 Linares to Omitlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Nuevo León Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tamaulipas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Linares to Omitlán?
In order: MEX-85, MEX-83, MEX-81, MEX-80, TAM 143, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-130D, MEX-132D, MEX-130 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Linares to Omitlán?
Closest to the road: Tampico Cathedral (cathedral, mile 239, 1 mi from the route); Aduana de Tampico (museum, mile 239, 1 mi from the route); Huapalcalco (archaeological site, mile 437, 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 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.