The Wayro route from Uruapan to Coatepec is 419 miles (674 km), about 6 h 54 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 419 mi (674 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 54 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-136 → MEX-140D → VER 7 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-140D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 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 Uruapan to Coatepec is like
MEX-M40D (121 mi) and MEX-15D (92 mi) carry about 51% of the 419 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-140D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-136 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 6 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Uruapan to Coatepec, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Michoacán |
| MEX-14D | 4–37 | 33 | Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 37–75 | 38 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 75–167 | 92 | Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 167–288 | 121 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala |
| MEX-136 | 288–340 | 52 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 340–341 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 341–406 | 65 | Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 406–409 | 3 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 409–414 | 5 | Veracruz |
| VER 7 | 414–418 | 4 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 418–419 | 1 | Veracruz |
- Mile 149 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 198 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 228 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 242 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 259 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 272 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 279 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 349 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 375 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Stops between Uruapan and Coatepec
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tula National Park (mile 211), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 411)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 145), Tula National Park (mile 211), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 311)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 33), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 127), Cantona (mile 367), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 411)
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.
Historic Centre of Morelia
Morelia's old core, founded in the 16th century as Valladolid, keeps more than 200 historic buildings in the region's pink stone around its cathedral and checkerboard streets. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1991.
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.
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.
Tula National Park
This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.
Parque nacional Xicoténcatl
Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.
Cantona
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.
Xalapa Museum of Anthropology
Run by the Universidad Veracruzana in a building designed by Edward Durell Stone, the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology displays more than 1,500 pieces from Olmec, central Veracruz and Huastec cultures, including several Olmec colossal heads, amid subtropical gardens.
When you get to Coatepec
Cascada de Texolo
Two waterfalls on the Matlacobatl River, Texolo with a 20-meter drop and La Monja with about 8 meters, sit roughly 3 kilometers from Xico amid cloud forest included in a Ramsar wetland site.
Jardín Botánico Francisco J. Clavijero
Opened in 1977 by the Instituto de Ecología near Xalapa, this botanical garden sits in native cloud forest beside a 30-hectare forest sanctuary and keeps notable collections of Mexican cycads, bamboo and carnivorous butterworts.
More drives to Coatepec
- Teziutlán to Coatepec
- Puebla to Coatepec
- Cholula to Coatepec
- Tulancingo to Coatepec
- Pachuca to Coatepec
- Mexico City to Coatepec
From Uruapan to other places in Mexico
- Uruapan to Amatitán
- Uruapan to Tequila
- Uruapan to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Uruapan to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Uruapan to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Uruapan to Real de Asientos
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Uruapan to Coatepec?
About 6 h 54 min of driving without stops, over 419 miles.
How far is Coatepec from Uruapan by car?
About 419 miles (674 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 Uruapan to Coatepec?
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 Uruapan to Coatepec?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Uruapan to Coatepec use?
In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-136, MEX-140D and VER 7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Uruapan and Coatepec?
Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 127, 1 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 211, 1 mi from the route); Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (archaeological museum, mile 411, 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.