Uruapan to Huejotzingo Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Uruapan to Huejotzingo is 314 miles (506 km), about 5 h 0 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: 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 CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Puebla is the Mexican state that contains Huejotzingo. 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, PátzcuaroHistoric Centre of MoreliaTeatro Morelos de MaravatíoRayón National ParkTulaTula National ParkMuseo Arqueológico de ApaxcoAqueduct of Padre TemblequeParque nacional XicoténcatlUruapanHuejotzingo
Route from Uruapan to Huejotzingo with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance314 mi (506 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 0 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-150
Mexican states on the routeMichoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-117D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Huejotzingo is like

MEX-M40D (136 mi) and MEX-15D (92 mi) carry about 73% of the 314 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-150 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Uruapan to Huejotzingo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Michoacán
MEX-14D4–3733Michoacán
MEX-37D37–7538Michoacán
MEX-15D75–16792Michoacán, State of Mexico
MEX-M40D167–303136State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla
connecting roads303–3063Puebla
MEX-150306–3148Puebla
  • 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 302 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)

Stops between Uruapan and Huejotzingo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tula National Park (mile 211)
  • Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 145), Tula National Park (mile 211), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 301)
  • Museums and history: Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro (mile 33), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 127), Tula (mile 211), Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco (mile 227)

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.

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.

Teatro Morelos de Maravatío

Mile 127 · Opera house · 1 mi from the route

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

Mile 145 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 211 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Tula National Park

Mile 211 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

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 Arqueológico de Apaxco

Mile 227 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in 1985, the Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco sits across from the parish church of San Francisco de Asís and beside the town hall in Apaxco, State of Mexico.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 262 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

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

Mile 301 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

When you get to Huejotzingo

Convento de Huejotzingo

Convent · in Huejotzingo

Founded by Franciscans in the 16th century, the former convent of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo shows colonial Plateresque architecture on the western slopes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1994.

More drives to Huejotzingo

From Uruapan to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Uruapan to Huejotzingo?

About 5 h 0 min of driving without stops, over 314 miles.

How far is Huejotzingo from Uruapan by car?

About 314 miles (506 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 Huejotzingo?

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 Huejotzingo?

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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Uruapan to Huejotzingo use?

In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D and MEX-150. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Uruapan and Huejotzingo?

Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 127, 1 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 211, 1 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 211, 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.