The Wayro route from Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre is 235 miles (378 km), about 4 h 8 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 235 mi (378 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | Viaducto → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-120 |
| Mexican states on the route | Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-14D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.4 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 Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre is like
MEX-15D (90 mi) and MEX-37D (39 mi) carry about 55% of the 235 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-120 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Mexico City |
| Viaducto | 2–6 | 4 | Mexico City |
| Periférico | 6–24 | 18 | Mexico City, State of Mexico |
| MEX-57 | 24–58 | 34 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 58–60 | 2 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 60–93 | 33 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 93–183 | 90 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 183–222 | 39 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 222–225 | 3 | Michoacán |
| MEX-120 | 225–235 | 10 | Michoacán |
- Mile 9 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 41 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 62 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 111 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
Stops between Mexico City and Santa Clara del Cobre
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Colección Jumex (mile 9), Torres de Satélite (mile 14), Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (mile 16)
- Nature and outdoors: Bicentennial Park (mile 11), Tula National Park (mile 56), Rayón National Park (mile 114)
- Museums and history: Colección Jumex (mile 9), Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (mile 16), Tlalnepantla Cathedral (mile 17), Cuautitlán Cathedral (mile 27), Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 225)
Colección Jumex
Colección Jumex, a private contemporary art collection owned by Eugenio López Alonso, is shown at Museo Jumex in Mexico City's Polanco neighborhood.
Bicentennial Park
On the line between the Azcapotzalco and Miguel Hidalgo boroughs, Bicentennial Park (Parque Bicentenario) is a park in the western part of Mexico City.
Torres de Satélite
The Torres de Satélite are giant sculptures in Ciudad Satélite, Naucalpan, conceived from 1957 by architect Luis Barragán, painter Jesús Reyes Ferreira and sculptor Mathias Goeritz.
Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica
Part of the Antonio Haghenbeck Cultural Foundation, the Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica is a museum in the municipality of Tlalnepantla de Baz, State of Mexico.
Tlalnepantla Cathedral
Consecrated on August 23, 1964, Tlalnepantla's Corpus Christi Cathedral stands where Franciscans founded the Convent of San Francisco in 1525.
Cuautitlán Cathedral
Cuautitlán's St. Bonaventure Cathedral (Catedral de San Buenaventura) is a Catholic church that forms part of the convent of the same name in this State of Mexico municipality.
Tula National Park
This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.
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 Artes e Industrias Populares
Housed in an 18th-century building adapted from the Colegio de San Nicolás, which Vasco de Quiroga founded in the 16th century, this INAH museum in Pátzcuaro shows Purépecha pottery, textiles, woodwork and lacquerware.
More drives to Santa Clara del Cobre
- Tepatitlán to Santa Clara del Cobre
- Tequila to Santa Clara del Cobre
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Santa Clara del Cobre
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Santa Clara del Cobre
- Zacatecas to Santa Clara del Cobre
- Jerez, Zacatecas to Santa Clara del Cobre
From Mexico City to other places in Mexico
- Mexico City to Metepec
- Mexico City to Toluca
- Mexico City to Cuernavaca
- Mexico City to Atlatlahucan
- Mexico City to Malinalco
- Mexico City to Cuautla
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre?
About 4 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 235 miles.
How far is Santa Clara del Cobre from Mexico City by car?
About 235 miles (378 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 Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre?
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 Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre?
The U.S. State Department rates Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo 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 Mexico City to Santa Clara del Cobre use?
In order: Viaducto, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D and MEX-120. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Santa Clara del Cobre?
Closest to the road: Colección Jumex (art museum, mile 9, 0.7 mi from the route); Torres de Satélite (sculpture, mile 14, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (museum, mile 16, 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 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.