The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Ixcateopan is 284 miles (457 km), about 5 h 25 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 284 mi (457 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 25 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Guerrero (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.4 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 Ixcateopan is like
MEX-15D (91 mi) and MEX-55D (59 mi) carry about 53% of the 284 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-120, MEX-55, MEX-95 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Guerrero. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Ixcateopan, 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 |
| connecting roads | 143–145 | 2 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 145–180 | 35 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 180–185 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 185–198 | 13 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 198–199 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 199–223 | 24 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 223–227 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 227–234 | 7 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 234–251 | 17 | State of Mexico, Guerrero |
| MEX-95 | 251–255 | 4 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 255–257 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 257–262 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 262–263 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 263–284 | 21 | Guerrero |
- Mile 125 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 248 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cosmovitral (mile 185), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 247), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 263), William Spratling Museum (mile 263)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 122), Nevado de Toluca National Park (mile 203), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 247)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 10), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 104), Cosmovitral (mile 185), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 263), William Spratling Museum (mile 263)
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.
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.
Cosmovitral
Toluca's Cosmovitral wraps a botanical garden of more than 500 plant species in a huge stained-glass work designed by artist Leopoldo Flores. Light filtering through the colored glass sets the mood as you walk the garden paths.
Nevado de Toluca National Park
The Nevado de Toluca volcano was declared a flora and fauna protection area in 2013, a protected zone spanning ten municipalities of the State of Mexico, including Toluca, Zinacantepec and Temascaltepec.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco
Silver baron José de la Borda paid for Santa Prisca with the bonanza from his San Ignacio mine in Taxco, and the church was dedicated in 1759, the same year his nearby house on the plaza was finished.
William Spratling Museum
Taxco's archaeological museum grew from the collection of William Spratling, the American who revived the town's silver craft in the 1930s. It shows pre-Hispanic pieces, including Olmec and Mezcala-style works, plus a gallery on silversmithing.
When you get to Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
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
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Oaxtepec Road Trip: Route & Stops
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Chipilo Road Trip: Stops & Drive Time
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Cadereyta Road Trip: Stops & Tolls
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Tonatico Road Trip: Stops & Tolls
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Tlayacapan Road Trip: Route & Stops
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Ixcateopan?
About 5 h 25 min of driving without stops, over 284 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?
About 284 miles (457 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 Ixcateopan?
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 Ixcateopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Ixcateopan use?
In order: MEX-120, MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-55, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. 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 Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 247, 0.3 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church building, mile 263, 0.4 mi from the route); William Spratling Museum (museum, mile 263, 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.