Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo is 291 miles (468 km), about 5 h 0 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: 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; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Puebla is the Mexican state that contains Tetela de Ocampo. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Celaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasEl Cimatario National ParkAtlantean figuresTula National ParkTeotihuacanMuseo del FerrocarrilHuapalcalcoSantuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de AquixtlaSalamancaTetela de Ocampo
Route from Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance291 mi (468 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 0 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-132D → MEX-119D → PUE 148
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132D, MEX-119D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 11.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo is like

MEX-M40D (61 mi) and MEX-47D (52 mi) carry about 39% of the 291 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132D, MEX-119D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-132 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Guanajuato
MEX-45D2–3937Guanajuato
MEX-47D39–9152Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D91–12736Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-M40D127–18861Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-132188–21123Hidalgo
MEX-132D211–23625Hidalgo
connecting roads236–2382Hidalgo
MEX-119D238–25719Hidalgo, Puebla
connecting roads257–2625Puebla
PUE 148262–29028Puebla
local roads290–2911Puebla
  • Mile 52 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 93 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 126 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 156 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 170 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 242 of this route: Hidalgo → Puebla (state line)

Stops between Salamanca and Tetela de Ocampo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tula National Park (mile 139), Huapalcalco (mile 219), Santuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de Aquixtla (mile 263)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 50), El Cimatario National Park (mile 56), Tula National Park (mile 139)
  • Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 27), Teotihuacan (mile 188), Museo del Ferrocarril (mile 217), Huapalcalco (mile 219)

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 27 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 50 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 56 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

Atlantean figures

Mile 139 · Atlantean figures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.

Tula National Park

Mile 139 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

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.

Teotihuacan

Mile 188 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

Museo del Ferrocarril

Mile 217 · 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 219 · 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.

Santuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de Aquixtla

Mile 263 · Sanctuary · 0.7 mi from the route

In the Sierra Norte de Puebla, the sanctuary of Nuestro Padre Jesús in Aquixtla draws thousands of pilgrims during the year who come to give thanks for favors received.

More drives to Tetela de Ocampo

From Salamanca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo?

About 5 h 0 min of driving without stops, over 291 miles.

How far is Tetela de Ocampo from Salamanca by car?

About 291 miles (468 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 Salamanca to Tetela 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 Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo?

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

What roads does the drive from Salamanca to Tetela de Ocampo use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-132D, MEX-119D and PUE 148. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Salamanca and Tetela de Ocampo?

Closest to the road: Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 139, 1 mi from the route); Huapalcalco (archaeological site, mile 219, 0.2 mi from the route); Santuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de Aquixtla (sanctuary, mile 263, 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 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.