The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Huasca de Ocampo is 258 miles (415 km), about 4 h 28 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 258 mi (415 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Huasca de Ocampo is like
MEX-15D (91 mi) and MEX-M40D (79 mi) carry about 66% of the 258 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-120, MEX-85, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Huasca de Ocampo, 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 | 143–222 | 79 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 222–223 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 223–234 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 234–242 | 8 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 242–252 | 10 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 252–258 | 6 | Hidalgo |
- 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)
Stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 237), El Hiloche (mile 248)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 122), Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 237), El Chico National Park (mile 247), El Hiloche (mile 248)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 10), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 142), Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (mile 188), Museo Nacional de la Fotografía (mile 243)
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.
Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl
The Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl is an archaeological museum located in Tula de Allende, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
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.
Museo Nacional de la Fotografía
Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, is home to the Museo Nacional de la Fotografía, a museum devoted to photography.
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.
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.
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 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 Huasca de Ocampo?
About 4 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 258 miles.
How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?
About 258 miles (415 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 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 Santa Clara del Cobre to Huasca de Ocampo?
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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Huasca de Ocampo use?
In order: MEX-120, MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-85 and MEX-105. 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 Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Parque Cultural Hidalguense (park, mile 237, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Nacional de la Fotografía (museum, mile 243, 1 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 248, 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.