The Wayro route from Ocuituco to Zirahuén is 277 miles (446 km), about 5 h 19 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 277 mi (446 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | MOR 10 → MEX-115 → MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-14D |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-14D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.1 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 Ocuituco to Zirahuén is like
MEX-15D (90 mi) and MEX-37D (39 mi) carry about 47% of the 277 miles. MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-14D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-115, MEX-106, MEX-200, MEX-55 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 Ocuituco to Zirahuén, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Morelos |
| MOR 10 | 1–6 | 5 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 6–10 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-115 | 10–13 | 3 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 13–14 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 14–34 | 20 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 34–45 | 11 | Morelos |
| MEX-106 | 45–63 | 18 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 63–68 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 68–73 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 73–76 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 76–83 | 7 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 83–84 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 84–89 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 89–99 | 10 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 99–129 | 30 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 129–132 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 132–222 | 90 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 222–261 | 39 | Michoacán |
| MEX-14D | 261–273 | 12 | Michoacán |
| local roads | 273–277 | 4 | Michoacán |
- Mile 58 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 150 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
Stops between Ocuituco and Zirahuén
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 17), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 55)
- Nature and outdoors: Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 55), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 57), Rayón National Park (mile 153)
- Museums and history: Calixtlahuaca (mile 95), Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 265)
Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol
Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
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.
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.
Calixtlahuaca
Spread over the slopes of Cerro Tenismó near Toluca, this site's standout is the round Temple of Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl, rebuilt in four phases. Nearby, a Mexica-era skull rack displays stone skulls set into cross-shaped walls.
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.
When you get to Zirahuén
Lake Zirahuén
Small and deep, Lake Zirahuén is a mountain lake in the Santa Clara del Cobre municipality of Michoacán, with a sandy bottom partly covered in mud and no outlet to the sea.
More drives to Zirahuén
- Amatitán to Zirahuén
- Tequila to Zirahuén
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Zirahuén
- Pabellón de Hidalgo to Zirahuén
- San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes to Zirahuén
- Calvillo to Zirahuén
From Ocuituco to other places in Mexico
- Ocuituco to Omitlán
- Ocuituco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Ocuituco to Metztitlán
- Ocuituco to Bernal
- Ocuituco to Mineral de Pozos
- Ocuituco to Ihuatzio
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ocuituco to Zirahuén?
About 5 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 277 miles.
How far is Zirahuén from Ocuituco by car?
About 277 miles (446 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 Ocuituco to Zirahuén?
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 Ocuituco to Zirahuén?
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 Ocuituco to Zirahuén use?
In order: MOR 10, MEX-115, MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200, EM 44, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D and MEX-14D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Ocuituco and Zirahuén?
Closest to the road: Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 17, 0.9 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 55, 0.3 mi from the route); Calixtlahuaca (archaeological site, mile 95, 1 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.