By road, Puerto Vallarta and Huasca de Ocampo are about 558 miles (898 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 5 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 558 mi (898 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 5 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-200 → MEX-200D → MEX-70D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-200D, MEX-70D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.3 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.
How the Puerto Vallarta to Huasca de Ocampo drive plays out
MEX-15D (320 mi) and MEX-M40D (79 mi) carry about 72% of the 558 miles. It runs through 5 states: Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-200D, MEX-70D and MEX-15D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Puerto Vallarta to Huasca de Ocampo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-200 | 1–6 | 5 | Jalisco |
| MEX-200D | 6–59 | 53 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 59–111 | 52 | Nayarit |
| MEX-15D | 111–177 | 66 | Nayarit, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 177–189 | 12 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 189–443 | 254 | Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 443–522 | 79 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 522–523 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 523–534 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 534–542 | 8 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 542–552 | 10 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 552–558 | 6 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 16 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
- Mile 129 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 257 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 424 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 474 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 505 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 519 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 118), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 539)
- Nature and outdoors: Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 49), Rayón National Park (mile 421), Tula National Park (mile 488), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 539), El Chico National Park (mile 547)
- Museums and history: Ixtlán del Rio (mile 118), Guachimontones (mile 163)
Rincón de Guayabitos
Gentle waves are the draw at Rincón de Guayabitos, where roughly two kilometers of shoreline make this Compostela, Nayarit, beach town a favorite escape for people from Tepic and Guadalajara.
Ixtlán del Rio
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Guachimontones
About 40 circular buildings and two ball courts spread over 20 hectares at Guachimontones, outside Teuchitlán. INAH calls it western Mexico's first large population center, dating back to around 1000 BC.
Diana Theatre
The Diana Theatre, or Teatro Diana, is an indoor theater in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, with seating for 2,345 people.
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.
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.
Parque Ecológico Cubitos
Between Pachuca de Soto and Mineral de la Reforma, Parque Ecológico Cubitos is a 90-hectare protected natural area whose public section has a botanical garden, an arboretum, a herpetarium, a farm, a maze, a zip line and a bike path.
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.
In Huasca de Ocampo itself
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 Puerto Vallarta to other places in Mexico
- Puerto Vallarta to Tecomán
- Puerto Vallarta to El Rosario, Sinaloa
- Puerto Vallarta to Tepatitlán
- Puerto Vallarta to Nochistlán
- Puerto Vallarta to San Ignacio, Sinaloa, Sinaloa
- Puerto Vallarta to Pabellón de Arteaga
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Puerto Vallarta to Huasca de Ocampo?
About 9 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 558 miles.
How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Puerto Vallarta by car?
About 558 miles (898 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 Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta to Huasca de Ocampo?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; 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 Puerto Vallarta to Huasca de Ocampo use?
In order: MEX-200, MEX-200D, MEX-70D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, 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 Puerto Vallarta and Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 118, 0.5 mi from the route); Tula National Park (national park, mile 488, 1 mi from the route); Parque Ecológico Cubitos (park, mile 539, 0.7 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.