Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo Road Trip: Stops & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo is 312 miles (502 km), about 6 h 6 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Huasca de Ocampo. See the full advisory for current details.
Parque Nacional Cofre de PeroteCantonaLa Malinche National ParkParque Cultural HidalguenseCentro Interactivo Mundo FutbolMonumental Clock of PachucaEl Chico National ParkEl HilocheTlacotalpanHuasca de Ocampo
Route from Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance312 mi (502 km)
Driving time, no stops6 h 6 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-175 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-180D, MEX-140D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.5 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 Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo is like

MEX-140D (92 mi) and MEX-180 (68 mi) carry about 51% of the 312 miles. MEX-180D, MEX-140D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-175, MEX-180, MEX-140, MEX-136, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-1750–99Veracruz
MEX-1809–6859Veracruz
MEX-180D68–8012Veracruz
MEX-18080–899Veracruz
MEX-14089–989Veracruz
MEX-140D98–1068Veracruz
MEX-140106–1093Veracruz
MEX-140D109–19384Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala
connecting roads193–1941Tlaxcala
MEX-136194–24551Tlaxcala
connecting roads245–2461Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D246–27327Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-132273–2774State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-88277–29316Hidalgo
local roads293–2963Hidalgo
MEX-105296–30610Hidalgo
local roads306–3126Hidalgo
  • Mile 160 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 186 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 255 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 262 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 275 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Tlacotalpan and Huasca de Ocampo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): El Hiloche (mile 301)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 150), La Malinche National Park (mile 206), Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 293), El Chico National Park (mile 301), El Hiloche (mile 301)
  • Museums and history: Cantona (mile 167), Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 293), Monumental Clock of Pachuca (mile 297)

Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote

Mile 150 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.

Cantona

Mile 167 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.

La Malinche National Park

Mile 206 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.

Parque Cultural Hidalguense

Mile 293 · Park · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Formerly Parque David Ben Gurión, Pachuca's Parque Cultural Hidalguense reopened in 2025 after a major renovation, with a monumental chess board, an artificial lake with fountains, a skate park and Byron Gálvez's restored artwork known as el Pisal.

Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol

Mile 293 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Monumental Clock of Pachuca

Mile 297 · Monument · 2 mi from the route

Rising over Plaza Independencia in Pachuca's historic center, the Monumental Clock tower was built between 1904 and 1910 to mark the centennial of Mexico's War of Independence.

El Chico National Park

Mile 301 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.

El Hiloche

Mile 301 · State park · 0.4 mi from the route

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.

When you get to Huasca de Ocampo

Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla

Waterfall · in Huasca de Ocampo

Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.

More drives to Huasca de Ocampo

From Tlacotalpan to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo?

About 6 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 312 miles.

How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Tlacotalpan by car?

About 312 miles (502 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 Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo?

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 Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Tlacotalpan to Huasca de Ocampo use?

In order: MEX-175, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tlacotalpan and Huasca de Ocampo?

Closest to the road: Parque Cultural Hidalguense (park, mile 293, 2 mi from the route); Monumental Clock of Pachuca (monument, mile 297, 2 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 301, 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.