The Wayro route from Tlayacapan to Zirahuén is 263 miles (424 km), about 5 h 4 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 263 mi (424 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 4 min |
| Main roads, in order | MOR 2 → MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-14D |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-14D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.5 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 Tlayacapan to Zirahuén is like
MEX-15D (90 mi) and MEX-37D (38 mi) carry about 49% of the 263 miles. MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-14D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-106, MEX-200, MEX-55 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tlayacapan to Zirahuén, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Morelos |
| MOR 2 | 3–7 | 4 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 7–8 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 8–20 | 12 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 20–21 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 21–31 | 10 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 31–32 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-106 | 32–50 | 18 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 50–54 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 54–59 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 59–62 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 62–70 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 70–75 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 75–86 | 11 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 86–115 | 29 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 115–119 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 119–209 | 90 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 209–247 | 38 | Michoacán |
| MEX-14D | 247–260 | 13 | Michoacán |
| local roads | 260–263 | 3 | Michoacán |
- Mile 44 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 137 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
Stops between Tlayacapan and Zirahuén
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 16), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 41), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 116)
- Nature and outdoors: Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 41), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 43), Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 76), Rayón National Park (mile 140)
- Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 16), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 16), Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 76), Toluca Cathedral (mile 76), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 116), Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 252)
El Tepozteco
High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.
Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum
Tepoztlán's Dominican monastery, built between 1555 and 1580, keeps original 16th-century murals in its cloister. Upstairs, the museum covers local daily life, faith, festivals and dances, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
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.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México
Set in the Parque de los Matlatzincas on Cerro del Calvario, the Natural Sciences Museum of the State of Mexico explores biology, geology and the preservation of natural resources.
Toluca Cathedral
Begun in 1867 and finished only in 1978, Toluca's Cathedral of Saint Joseph has a neoclassical facade and a bronze statue of the saint on its dome. It also preserves the 18th-century baroque front of the former San Elzeario church.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
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.
Rayón National Park
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.
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.
When you get to Zirahuén
Lake Zirahuén
Small and deep, Lake Zirahuén is a mountain lake in the Santa Clara del Cobre municipality of Michoacán, with a sandy bottom partly covered in mud and no outlet to the sea.
More drives to Zirahuén
- Amatitán to Zirahuén
- Tequila to Zirahuén
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Zirahuén
- Pabellón de Hidalgo to Zirahuén
- San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes to Zirahuén
- Calvillo to Zirahuén
From Tlayacapan to other places in Mexico
- Tlayacapan to Malinalco
- Tlayacapan to Tonatico
- Tlayacapan to Ixtenco
- Tlayacapan to Omitlán
- Tlayacapan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tlayacapan to El Oro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tlayacapan to Zirahuén?
About 5 h 4 min of driving without stops, over 263 miles.
How far is Zirahuén from Tlayacapan by car?
About 263 miles (424 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 Tlayacapan to Zirahuén?
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 Tlayacapan to Zirahuén?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Tlayacapan to Zirahuén use?
In order: MOR 2, MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200, EM 44, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D and MEX-14D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Tlayacapan and Zirahuén?
Closest to the road: Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (museum, mile 16, 0.5 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 41, 0.3 mi from the route); Cathedral of Atlacomulco (catholic cathedral, mile 116, 0.1 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.