The Wayro route from Uruapan to Huasca de Ocampo is 281 miles (453 km), about 4 h 43 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 281 mi (453 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Huasca de Ocampo is like
MEX-15D (92 mi) and MEX-M40D (78 mi) carry about 60% of the 281 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-85, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Uruapan to Huasca de Ocampo, 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 | 167–245 | 78 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 245–246 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 246–257 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 257–265 | 8 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 265–276 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 276–281 | 5 | Hidalgo |
- 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)
Stops between Uruapan and Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tula National Park (mile 211), La Dificultad Mine Museum (mile 272)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 145), Tula National Park (mile 211), El Chico National Park (mile 271)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 33), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 127), Museo Nacional de la Fotografía (mile 266), La Dificultad Mine Museum (mile 272)
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.
Museo Nacional de la Fotografía
Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, is home to the Museo Nacional de la Fotografía, a museum devoted to photography.
El Chico National Park
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.
La Dificultad Mine Museum
At the La Dificultad mine in Mineral del Monte, a site museum and interpretation center tells the area's mining and hospital history, showing how the mines moved from steam power to electricity.
When you get to Huasca de Ocampo
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
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
- Actopan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Otumba to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tepotzotlán to Huasca de Ocampo
- Mexico City to Huasca de Ocampo
- Jilotepec to Huasca de Ocampo
- Zimapán to Huasca de Ocampo
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 Huasca de Ocampo?
About 4 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 281 miles.
How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Uruapan by car?
About 281 miles (453 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 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 Uruapan to Huasca de Ocampo?
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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Uruapan to Huasca de Ocampo use?
In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-85 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Uruapan and Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 211, 1 mi from the route); Museo Nacional de la Fotografía (museum, mile 266, 1 mi from the route); La Dificultad Mine Museum (museum, mile 272, 0.6 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.