The Wayro route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Zacualpan de Amilpas is 278 miles (447 km), about 5 h 28 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 278 mi (447 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → EM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.1 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas is like
MEX-15D (91 mi) and MEX-37D (38 mi) carry about 46% of the 278 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-120, MEX-55, MEX-200, MEX-160 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Clara del Cobre to Zacualpan de Amilpas, 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 | 185–191 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 191–192 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 192–200 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 200–203 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 203–207 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 207–212 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 212–226 | 14 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 226–234 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 234–239 | 5 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 239–260 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 260–271 | 11 | Morelos |
| local roads | 271–278 | 7 | Morelos |
- Mile 125 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 220 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Santa Clara del Cobre and Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cosmovitral (mile 185), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 221), Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 256)
- Nature and outdoors: La Marquesa National Park (mile 200), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 221)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 10), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 104), Cosmovitral (mile 185), Cuernavaca Cathedral (mile 233), Teopanzolco (mile 233)
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.
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.
La Marquesa National Park
Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
Cuernavaca Cathedral
Franciscans built this 16th-century convent church, now Cuernavaca's cathedral and part of the UNESCO-listed monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl; visitors can see its murals, side chapels and a sacred art museum.
Teopanzolco
Now surrounded by the city of Cuernavaca, Teopanzolco preserves a Late Postclassic pyramid base that once carried twin temples to Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli, a layout closely tied to Tenochtitlan's sacred precinct.
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In Oaxtepec, the Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is among the first convents the Dominicans built in Mexico, and its walls preserve extensive fresco painting from the colonial era.
More drives to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Puebla to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Cuernavaca to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Zacatelco to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Mexico City to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Chiautempan to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Apizaco to Zacualpan de Amilpas
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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?
About 5 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 278 miles.
How far is Zacualpan de Amilpas from Santa Clara del Cobre by car?
About 278 miles (447 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?
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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Santa Clara del Cobre to Zacualpan de Amilpas use?
In order: MEX-120, MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-55, EM 44, MEX-200, MEX-95D, MEX-160D and MEX-160. 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?
Closest to the road: Cosmovitral (museum, mile 185, 0.8 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 221, 0.3 mi from the route); Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 256, 0.8 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.