The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to San Ignacio, Sinaloa is 536 miles (862 km), about 10 h 11 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 536 mi (862 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → MEX-15 → MICH 39 → MEX-15D → SIN 407 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3), Nayarit (Level 2), Sinaloa (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.4 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 San Ignacio, Sinaloa is like
MEX-15D (405 mi) and MEX-15 (70 mi) carry about 89% of the 536 miles. MEX-15D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-120, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to San Ignacio, Sinaloa, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-120 | 1–27 | 26 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 27–28 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 28–51 | 23 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 51–52 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MICH 39 | 52–58 | 6 | Michoacán |
| local roads | 58–62 | 4 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 62–63 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 63–190 | 127 | Michoacán, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 190–199 | 9 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 199–477 | 278 | Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa |
| MEX-15 | 477–515 | 38 | Sinaloa |
| SIN 407 | 515–535 | 20 | Sinaloa |
| local roads | 535–536 | 1 | Sinaloa |
- Mile 120 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 248 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
- Mile 391 of this route: Nayarit → Sinaloa (state line)
Stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tzintzuntzan (mile 22), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 258)
- Nature and outdoors: Agua Grande Lagoon (mile 416)
- Museums and history: Tzintzuntzan (mile 22), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 180), Museo Regional de Guadalajara (mile 183), Guachimontones (mile 213), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 258), Tepic Cathedral (mile 309), Museo Amado Nervo (mile 309)
Tzintzuntzan
Once the political and economic capital of the Purépecha empire, governed by a hereditary line of uacúsecha, or 'eagle lords,' Tzintzuntzan preserves its yácatas, temple bases that combine rectangular and semicircular platforms around ritual plazas.
Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque
On Independencia Street in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, the Museo Regional de la Cerámica is one of the city's two main ceramics museums, alongside the Pantaleón Panduro Museum.
Museo Regional de Guadalajara
Facing the Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres in downtown Guadalajara, the Museo Regional de Guadalajara fills a full city block bounded by Hidalgo, Pino Suárez, Liceo and Independencia streets.
Exconvento del Carmen
Built in the 17th century for the Discalced Carmelites, the Ex Convento del Carmen in Guadalajara is now a cultural venue with a long religious history.
Guachimontones
Near the town of Teuchitlán, Guachimontones is known for its circular structures. INAH describes it as the first large population center in western Mexico, emerging around 1000 BC, with two ball courts and about 40 circular buildings across 20 hectares.
Ixtlán del Rio
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Tepic Cathedral
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral, also known as Tepic Cathedral, stands on the main square in the center of Tepic and is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tepic.
Museo Amado Nervo
Poet Amado Nervo was born on August 27, 1870, in this mid-19th-century house in downtown Tepic, which opened as a museum dedicated to him on April 27, 1970.
Agua Grande Lagoon
Agua Grande is a large coastal lagoon in the Mexican state of Sinaloa that drains into the Pacific Ocean through the Teacapán Estuary.
More drives to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Calvillo to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Aguascalientes to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- San Juan de los Lagos to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Tepatitlán to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Amatitán to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Mazamitla to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
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 Mineral de Pozos
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Bernal
- Santa Clara del Cobre to Pedro Escobedo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to San Ignacio, Sinaloa?
About 10 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 536 miles.
How far is San Ignacio, Sinaloa from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?
About 536 miles (862 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 San Ignacio, Sinaloa?
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 San Ignacio, Sinaloa?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Sinaloa 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 San Ignacio, Sinaloa use?
In order: MEX-120, MEX-15, MICH 39, MEX-15D and SIN 407. 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 San Ignacio, Sinaloa?
Closest to the road: Tzintzuntzan (archaeological site, mile 22, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 180, 1 mi from the route); Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 258, 0.6 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.