Real de Catorce to Huasca de Ocampo is about 411 road miles (662 km): roughly 8 h 43 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance | 411 mi (662 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | SLP 43 → MEX-63 → MEX-49 → 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 16.4 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.
How the Real de Catorce to Huasca de Ocampo drive plays out
MEX-57 (107 mi) and MEX-57D (87 mi) carry about 47% of the 411 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 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Real de Catorce to Huasca de Ocampo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | San Luis Potosí |
| SLP 43 | 7–40 | 33 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-63 | 40–114 | 74 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-49 | 114–130 | 16 | San Luis Potosí |
| connecting roads | 130–134 | 4 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 134–241 | 107 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 241–242 | 1 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 242–329 | 87 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 329–375 | 46 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 375–376 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 376–388 | 12 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 388–395 | 7 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 395–406 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 406–411 | 5 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 181 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 235 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 296 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 329 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 359 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 372 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
Stops between Real de Catorce and Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Regional Potosino (mile 132), Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 390), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 393), El Hiloche (mile 400)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 155), Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 390), Parque Ecológico Cubitos (mile 393), El Hiloche (mile 400), El Chico National Park (mile 401)
- Museums and history: Museo Regional Potosino (mile 132), Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes (mile 133), Tula (mile 341)
Museo Regional Potosino
Opened on November 20, 1952, the Museo Regional Potosino occupies part of the former Convent of San Francisco, built in 1586, in San Luis Potosí.
Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes
Built in Parque Tangamanga I and opened on September 4, 2008, the Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes is an interactive museum in San Luis Potosí.
El Gogorrón National Park
Hot-spring balnearios lie within the bounds of Gogorrón National Park, which covers parts of Villa de Reyes and Santa María del Río in San Luis Potosí. Its higher ground carries pine-oak forest.
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
The Toltecs once ruled from Tula, now an archaeological zone. Its Coatepantli wall is carved with snakes devouring skeletons, and the famous Atlantes stand atop the main pyramid.
Parque Cultural Hidalguense
Formerly Parque David Ben Gurión, Pachuca's Parque Cultural Hidalguense reopened in 2025 after a major renovation, with a monumental chess board, an artificial lake with fountains, a skate park and Byron Gálvez's restored artwork known as el Pisal.
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.
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.
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.
When you get to 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 Real de Catorce to other places in Mexico
- Real de Catorce to Tócuaro
- Real de Catorce to Pacanda
- Real de Catorce to Omitlán
- Real de Catorce to Boca de Pascuales
- Real de Catorce to Chacala
- Real de Catorce to Nuevo Nayarit
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Real de Catorce to Huasca de Ocampo?
About 8 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 411 miles.
How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Real de Catorce by car?
About 411 miles (662 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 Real de Catorce 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 Real de Catorce 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.
Which highways go from Real de Catorce to Huasca de Ocampo?
In order: SLP 43, MEX-63, MEX-49, MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-85 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Real de Catorce to Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Museo Regional Potosino (archaeological museum, mile 132, 0.5 mi from the route); Parque Cultural Hidalguense (park, mile 390, 0.2 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 400, 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.