Santa Clara del Cobre to Omitlán Road Trip: Stops & Tolls

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Omitlán is 252 miles (405 km), about 4 h 21 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Omitlán. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Museo de Artes e Industrias PopularesRayón National ParkCathedral of AtlacomulcoTulaJorge R. Acosta MuseumCentro Interactivo Mundo FutbolBioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, HidalgoTeatro de la Ciudad San FranciscoSanta Clara del CobreOmitlán
Route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Omitlán with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance252 mi (405 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 21 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-120 → MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105
Mexican states on the routeMichoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 10.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Santa Clara del Cobre to Omitlán is like

MEX-15D (91 mi) and MEX-M40D (79 mi) carry about 67% of the 252 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, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Omitlán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Michoacán
MEX-1201–109Michoacán
MEX-14D10–144Michoacán
MEX-37D14–5238Michoacán
MEX-15D52–14391Michoacán, State of Mexico
MEX-M40D143–22279State of Mexico, Hidalgo
connecting roads222–2231Hidalgo
MEX-85223–23411Hidalgo
local roads234–2428Hidalgo
MEX-105242–2475Hidalgo
local roads247–2525Hidalgo
  • 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 Omitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 237)
  • Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 122)
  • Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 10), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 142), Tula (mile 188), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 188), Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 237)
  • With kids: Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo (mile 238)

Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares

Mile 10 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

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

Mile 122 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 142 · Catholic cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Tula

Mile 188 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 188 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Next to the Tula ruins, the Museo de Sitio Jorge R. Acosta traces the rise and decline of the Toltecs and their city, Tollan Xicocotitlan. It moved into new facilities in 1982 and covers nearly 20 years of digs led by archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta.

Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol

Mile 237 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Centro Interactivo Mundo Fútbol is an interactive museum devoted to soccer, located in the city of Pachuca de Soto in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Bioparque de Convivencia en Pachuca, Hidalgo

Mile 238 · Zoo · 2 mi from the route

Pachuca's Bioparque de Convivencia is a rescue and recovery center for wild, exotic and endemic animals saved from abuse, abandonment or risk, housing a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation unit.

Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco

Mile 243 · Theatre building · 1 mi from the route

The Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco is a theater in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

When you get to Omitlán

El Hiloche

State park · in Omitlán

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.

Museo de Medicina Laboral y Centro Cultural Nicolás Zavala

Museum · in Omitlán

Occupational medicine and mining history are the focus of this museum in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, which keeps the original facilities, furniture and medical equipment. Pachuca's mining archive and museum runs it.

Paste Museum

Museum · in Omitlán

The Museo del Paste in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, is a food museum that shares and promotes the culinary and historical legacy of the paste.

More drives to Omitlán

From Santa Clara del Cobre to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Omitlán?

About 4 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 252 miles.

How far is Omitlán from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?

About 252 miles (405 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 Omitlán?

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 Omitlán?

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 Omitlán 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 Omitlán?

Closest to the road: Tula (archaeological site, mile 188, 1 mi from the route); Jorge R. Acosta Museum (museum, mile 188, 1 mi from the route); Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (museum, mile 237, 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.