Plan on about 5 h 46 min of driving for the 320-mile (515 km) trip from Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas, before any stops.
| Distance | 320 mi (515 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 46 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-130D → MEX-132D → MEX-119D → MEX-119 → MEX-117D → PUE 438D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D, MEX-130D, MEX-132D, MEX-119D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.8 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 Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas is like
MEX-132D (63 mi) and MEX-119D (51 mi) carry about 36% of the 320 miles. It runs through 6 states: Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-130D and MEX-132D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tamaulipas |
| MEX-180 | 1–45 | 44 | Tamaulipas, Veracruz |
| local roads | 45–74 | 29 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 74–108 | 34 | Veracruz |
| MEX-130D | 108–123 | 15 | Veracruz |
| MEX-132D | 123–186 | 63 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 186–188 | 2 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-119D | 188–228 | 40 | Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 228–230 | 2 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119 | 230–242 | 12 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 242–245 | 3 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 245–257 | 12 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119D | 257–268 | 11 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| local roads | 268–288 | 20 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 288–317 | 29 | Puebla, Morelos |
| local roads | 317–320 | 3 | Morelos |
- Mile 7 of this route: Tamaulipas → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 132 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 186 of this route: Puebla → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 192 of this route: Hidalgo → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 222 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 265 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 315 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Exconvento de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (mile 254), Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 264)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 264)
- Museums and history: El Tajín (mile 123), Museo Casa de Piedra (mile 243), Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia de Tlaxcala (mile 253), Casa del Caballero Águila (mile 273), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 278)
El Tajín
Look for elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes at El Tajín, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, along with the Pyramid of the Niches and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.
Museo Casa de Piedra
Apizaco's old railroad station, dating from 1916, now houses the Museo Casa de Piedra. Inside, photographs and documents trace the town's history, especially its long ties to the railroads.
Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia de Tlaxcala
Set in the cloisters of Tlaxcala's former Franciscan convent, founded in 1528, the regional museum (Museo Regional de Tlaxcala) traces the state from paleontology and pre-Hispanic cultures through the colonial era to the Revolution, with pottery, sculpture and paintings.
Exconvento de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
The remains of this 16th-century convent stand in San Juan Totolac, Tlaxcala, and are open to visitors. Parts of the nave, two side chapels and a freestanding bell tower survive; in 1591 Tlaxcalan families left here to settle northern New Spain.
Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos
Opened on April 2, 2015, Los Ladrillos Ecological Park is a nature reserve in the municipality of Zacatelco, in Tlaxcala.
Convento de Huejotzingo
Founded by Franciscans in the 16th century, the former convent of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo shows colonial Plateresque architecture on the western slopes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1994.
Casa del Caballero Águila
Facing the old pre-Hispanic plaza of San Pedro Cholula, the Casa del Caballero Águila is a colonial house built in the late 16th century.
Great Pyramid of Cholula
Under a hilltop church dedicated to the Virgin of los Remedios lies Tlachihualtepetl, a pyramid built in superimposed stages with a base about 400 meters per side. Excavations have opened roughly 8 km of tunnels inside the mound.
International Museum of the Baroque
Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.
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 Tampico to other places in Mexico
- Tampico to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tampico to Pachuca
- Tampico to Omitlán
- Tampico to Actopan
- Tampico to Calpulalpan
- Tampico to Zacatelco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
About 5 h 46 min of driving without stops, over 320 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
About 320 miles (515 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 Tampico 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 Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
The U.S. State Department rates Tamaulipas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-130D, MEX-132D, MEX-119D, MEX-119, MEX-117D and PUE 438D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tampico to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
Closest to the road: Museo Casa de Piedra (railway museum, mile 243, 1 mi from the route); Exconvento de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (convent, mile 254, 0.1 mi from the route); Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (park, mile 264, 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.