By road, Matehuala and Huasca de Ocampo are about 390 miles (627 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 31 min of driving.
| Distance | 390 mi (627 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 31 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 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.
What the drive from Matehuala to Huasca de Ocampo is like
MEX-57 (175 mi) and MEX-57D (128 mi) carry about 78% of the 390 miles. It runs through 5 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D and MEX-M40D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Matehuala to Huasca de Ocampo: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 2–80 | 78 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 80–122 | 42 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 122–219 | 97 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 219–221 | 2 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 221–307 | 86 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 307–308 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 308–354 | 46 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-85 | 354–366 | 12 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 366–373 | 7 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 373–384 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 384–390 | 6 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 160 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 213 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 274 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 307 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 337 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 350 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Matehuala and Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 368), El Hiloche (mile 379)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 134), El Chico National Park (mile 379), El Hiloche (mile 379)
- Museums and history: San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 114), Tula (mile 319), Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 368)
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
Look closely at the two towers of San Luis Potosí's cathedral: one is built of mortar, the other of quarried cantera stone. The Baroque church is the seat of the archdiocese.
El Gogorrón National Park
Decreed a national park in 1936, Gogorrón in San Luis Potosí mixes desert scrub and grassland with pine-oak forest on its heights, and hot-spring balnearios lie within its bounds.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Baroque churches and mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries line the streets of Querétaro's historic center, along with the city's landmark aqueduct.
Tula
Basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall, the Atlantes, crown the main pyramid at Tula. Visitors can also explore a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall.
Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol
Centro Interactivo Mundo Fútbol is an interactive museum devoted to soccer, located in the city of Pachuca de Soto in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Ex monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo
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
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.
El Hiloche
Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.
Once you reach Huasca de Ocampo
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
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
- Actopan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Otumba to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tepotzotlán to Huasca de Ocampo
- Mexico City to Huasca de Ocampo
- Jilotepec to Huasca de Ocampo
- Zimapán to Huasca de Ocampo
From Matehuala to other places in Mexico
- Matehuala to San Juan de los Lagos
- Matehuala to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Matehuala to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Matehuala to Calvillo
- Matehuala to Temacapulín
- Matehuala to Jalpa
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Matehuala to Huasca de Ocampo?
About 7 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 390 miles.
What is the driving distance from Matehuala to Huasca de Ocampo?
About 390 miles (627 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 Matehuala 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 Matehuala to Huasca de Ocampo?
The U.S. State Department rates San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 Matehuala to Huasca de Ocampo use?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-85 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Matehuala and Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Tula (archaeological site, mile 319, 1 mi from the route); Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (museum, mile 368, 0.3 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 379, 0.4 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.