Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas Road Trip: Stops & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas is 326 miles (525 km), about 5 h 38 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Guadalupe, Zacatecas. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, PátzcuaroMuseo de Artes e Industrias PopularesHistoric Centre of MoreliaJosé Guadalupe Posada MuseumTeatro MorelosMuseo de la InsurgenciaUruapanGuadalupe, Zacatecas
Route from Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance326 mi (525 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 38 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-43D → MEX-45D → MEX-45
Mexican states on the routeMichoacán (Level 4), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-43D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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 Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas is like

MEX-45D (128 mi) and MEX-45 (59 mi) carry about 57% of the 326 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-43D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Michoacán, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Michoacán
MEX-14D4–3733Michoacán
MEX-37D37–7538Michoacán
MEX-15D75–794Michoacán
connecting roads79–801Michoacán
MEX-43D80–13151Michoacán, Guanajuato
MEX-45D131–239108Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-45239–26930Jalisco, Aguascalientes
local roads269–2723Aguascalientes
MEX-45272–30129Aguascalientes, Zacatecas
MEX-45D301–32120Zacatecas
local roads321–3265Zacatecas
  • Mile 95 of this route: Michoacán → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 194 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 243 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 296 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Uruapan and Guadalupe, Zacatecas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): José Guadalupe Posada Museum (mile 257), Teatro Morelos (mile 257)
  • Museums and history: Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro (mile 33), Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 33), José Guadalupe Posada Museum (mile 257), Museo de la Insurgencia (mile 278)

Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro

Mile 33 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route

Pátzcuaro's basilica (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud) rises on pre-Hispanic platforms beside its own plaza. Bishop Vasco de Quiroga planned it as a five-nave cathedral, only one nave was finished, and his remains rest inside.

Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares

Mile 33 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

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

Mile 63 · Urban area · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

José Guadalupe Posada Museum

Mile 257 · Museum · 0.3 mi from the route

Aguascalientes is the birthplace of printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, and this museum shows the original signed printing plates he used to create his graphic images.

Teatro Morelos

Mile 257 · Theatre building · 0.1 mi from the route

In downtown Aguascalientes, Teatro Morelos is a neoclassical theater designed and built by engineer José Noriega and opened in 1885. In October and November 1914 it hosted the Sovereign Revolutionary Convention.

Museo de la Insurgencia

Mile 278 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Set in a 17th-century estate, the Museo de la Insurgencia opened in 1964 to tell the story of Mexico's independence movement. One hall shows farm, mining and textile tools from hacienda work; another displays everyday objects from past eras.

When you get to Guadalupe, Zacatecas

Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas

Minor basilica · in Guadalupe, Zacatecas

Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the Cathedral of Zacatecas is the main church of the Diocese of Zacatecas.

Manuel Felguérez Museum

Art museum · in Guadalupe, Zacatecas

A former seminary begun in 1870, later a barracks and then a prison until 1995, now holds Zacatecas' Museo de Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguérez, devoted to abstract art and to the work of the painter it's named after.

Teatro Fernando Calderón

Theatre building · in Guadalupe, Zacatecas

Built between 1891 and 1897 to plans by architect George Edward King, Zacatecas' Teatro Calderón honors playwright Fernando Calderón and witnessed violent events during the Toma de Zacatecas.

More drives to Guadalupe, Zacatecas

From Uruapan to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

About 5 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 326 miles.

How far is Guadalupe, Zacatecas from Uruapan by car?

About 326 miles (525 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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Uruapan to Guadalupe, Zacatecas use?

In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-43D, MEX-45D and MEX-45. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Uruapan and Guadalupe, Zacatecas?

Closest to the road: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (museum, mile 33, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Morelos (theatre building, mile 257, 0.1 mi from the route); José Guadalupe Posada Museum (museum, mile 257, 0.3 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.