Pachuca to Zacatlán Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Pachuca to Zacatlán is 71 miles (115 km), about 1 h 32 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Puebla is the Mexican state that contains Zacatlán. See the full advisory for current details.
Templo y exconvento de San Andrés ApóstolAqueduct of Padre TemblequeMuseo del FerrocarrilHuapalcalcoPachucaZacatlán
Route from Pachuca to Zacatlán with the 4 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance71 mi (115 km)
Driving time, no stops1 h 32 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-130 → MEX-132D → MEX-119D → MEX-119
Mexican states on the routeHidalgo (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-132D, MEX-119D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 2.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below4

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 Pachuca to Zacatlán is like

MEX-132D (25 mi) and MEX-130 (22 mi) carry about 66% of the 71 miles. MEX-132D, MEX-119D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-130, MEX-119 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: Hidalgo, Puebla. Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Pachuca to Zacatlán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-1300–2222Hidalgo
MEX-132D22–4725Hidalgo
connecting roads47–492Hidalgo
MEX-119D49–6112Hidalgo, Puebla
connecting roads61–621Puebla
MEX-11962–719Puebla
  • Mile 53 of this route: Hidalgo → Puebla (state line)

Stops between Pachuca and Zacatlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Huapalcalco (mile 30)
  • Museums and history: Templo y exconvento de San Andrés Apóstol (mile 11), Museo del Ferrocarril (mile 28), Huapalcalco (mile 30)

Templo y exconvento de San Andrés Apóstol

Mile 11 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 12 · Aqueduct · 14 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Museo del Ferrocarril

Mile 28 · Railway museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This former railway station on the old Hidalgo Railroad line to Mexico City now works as a museum, with photographs of its construction and the office and bookkeeping objects used in its day.

Huapalcalco

Mile 30 · Archaeological site · 0.2 mi from the route

About 5 kilometers north of Tulancingo, the pre-Columbian site of Huapalcalco sits on the western slope of a hill called Tecolote.

More drives to Zacatlán

From Pachuca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Pachuca to Zacatlán?

About 1 h 32 min of driving without stops, over 71 miles.

How far is Zacatlán from Pachuca by car?

About 71 miles (115 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 Pachuca to Zacatlán?

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 Pachuca to Zacatlán?

The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Pachuca to Zacatlán use?

In order: MEX-130, MEX-132D, MEX-119D and MEX-119. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Pachuca and Zacatlán?

Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Andrés Apóstol (museum, mile 11, 2 mi from the route); Museo del Ferrocarril (railway museum, mile 28, 2 mi from the route); Huapalcalco (archaeological site, mile 30, 0.2 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.