The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan is 288 miles (463 km), about 4 h 57 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 288 mi (463 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 57 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D, MEX-115D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.5 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 Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan is like
MEX-15D (91 mi) and MEX-5D (54 mi) carry about 50% of the 288 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-120, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-120 | 1–10 | 9 | Michoacán |
| MEX-14D | 10–14 | 4 | Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 14–52 | 38 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 52–143 | 91 | Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 143–176 | 33 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-57D | 176–198 | 22 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-5D | 198–252 | 54 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 252–253 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 253–269 | 16 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 269–283 | 14 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| MEX-115 | 283–286 | 3 | Morelos |
| local roads | 286–288 | 2 | Morelos |
- Mile 125 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 175 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 195 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 277 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and Atlatlahucan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 188), Sacromonte National Park (mile 268)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 122), El Tepeyac National Park (mile 227), Cerro de la Estrella National Park (mile 233), Sacromonte National Park (mile 268)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 10), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 142)
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.
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.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.
Templo y exconvento de San Francisco
The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
El Tepeyac National Park
Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
Cerro de la Estrella National Park
Rising in eastern Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough, Cerro de la Estrella is where the Mexica lit the New Fire every 52 years; trails lead up to a pyramid-shaped site museum near the summit and to caves with traces of pre-Hispanic use.
Guerrero Chimalli
Rising 60 meters beside Bordo de Xochiaca Avenue in Chimalhuacán, this steel sculpture by Sebastián depicts an Indigenous warrior holding a shield (chimalli) and a mace.
Sacromonte National Park
Sacromonte National Park is a national park and protected area in the State of Mexico, established in 1952 and covering roughly 0.44 square kilometers.
When you get to Atlatlahucan
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla
The 16th-century church and former monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla belongs to the Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 as early missionary architecture with large open courtyards.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
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.
More drives to Atlatlahucan
- Cuernavaca to Atlatlahucan
- Metepec to Atlatlahucan
- Toluca to Atlatlahucan
- Valle de Bravo to Atlatlahucan
- Zitácuaro to Atlatlahucan
- San Juan del Río to Atlatlahucan
From Santa Clara del Cobre to other places in Mexico
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Amatitán
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Real de Asientos
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Nombre de Dios
- Santa Clara del Cobre to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Mineral de Pozos
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Bernal
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan?
About 4 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 288 miles.
How far is Atlatlahucan from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?
About 288 miles (463 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 Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan?
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 Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Atlatlahucan use?
In order: MEX-120, MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and Atlatlahucan?
Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 188, 0.6 mi from the route); Guerrero Chimalli (colossal statue, mile 233, 1 mi from the route); Sacromonte National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 268, 0.3 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.