The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Chipilo is 309 miles (497 km), about 5 h 2 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 309 mi (497 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-150D |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.4 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.
What the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Chipilo is like
MEX-M40D (140 mi) and MEX-15D (91 mi) carry about 75% of the 309 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-120 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Chipilo, 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 | 143–283 | 140 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 283–301 | 18 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 301–305 | 4 | Puebla |
| local roads | 305–309 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 125 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 175 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 205 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 219 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 236 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 249 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 256 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 279 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
Stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and Chipilo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): La Constancia Mexicana (mile 300)
- Nature and outdoors: Tula National Park (mile 188), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 290)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 10), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 104), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 142), Xochitecatl (mile 288), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 300)
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.
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.
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.
Atlantean figures
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
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.
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
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.
Xochitecatl
Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.
Parque nacional Xicoténcatl
Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.
La Constancia Mexicana
A textile factory founded in 1835 in Puebla now houses the La Constancia museum complex, with a children's museum, a puppet house, a Mexican music museum, an automobile museum and a park of miniature world monuments.
When you get to Chipilo
Museo Amparo
Opened in 1991 in Puebla's historic center, Museo Amparo was sponsored by the Amparo Foundation, created in 1979 by Manuel Espinosa Yglesias in honor of his wife.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Puebla Cathedral
Consecrated in 1649, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Archdiocese of Puebla and one of the key buildings in the city's UNESCO-listed historic center.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Cuernavaca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Actopan to Chipilo
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 Chipilo?
About 5 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 309 miles.
How far is Chipilo from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?
About 309 miles (497 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 Chipilo?
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 Chipilo?
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; Tlaxcala 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 Santa Clara del Cobre to Chipilo use?
In order: MEX-120, MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D and MEX-150D. 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 Chipilo?
Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 188, 1 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 188, 1 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 300, 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 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.