The Wayro route from Uruapan to Ixcateopan is 308 miles (495 km), about 5 h 40 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 308 mi (495 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 40 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Guerrero (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.3 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 Ixcateopan is like
MEX-15D (91 mi) and MEX-55D (58 mi) carry about 48% of the 308 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-55, MEX-95 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Guerrero. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Uruapan to Ixcateopan, 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 | 75–166 | 91 | Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 166–169 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 169–203 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 203–208 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 208–221 | 13 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 221–222 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 222–246 | 24 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 246–250 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 250–258 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 258–274 | 16 | State of Mexico, Guerrero |
| MEX-95 | 274–278 | 4 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 278–280 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 280–285 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 285–286 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 286–308 | 22 | Guerrero |
- Mile 149 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 259 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 262 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 270 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Uruapan and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Toluca Cathedral (mile 208), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 270), William Spratling Museum (mile 286)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 145), Nevado de Toluca National Park (mile 226), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 270)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 33), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 127), Toluca Cathedral (mile 208), Museum José María Velasco (mile 208), William Spratling Museum (mile 286)
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.
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.
Museum José María Velasco
In Toluca's historic center, the Museo José María Velasco shares the work of 19th-century Mexican painter José María Velasco, with Plaza de los Mártires to the south and the Government Palace to the east.
Nevado de Toluca National Park
The Nevado de Toluca volcano was declared a flora and fauna protection area in 2013, a protected zone spanning ten municipalities of the State of Mexico, including Toluca, Zinacantepec and Temascaltepec.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
William Spratling Museum
Taxco's archaeological museum grew from the collection of William Spratling, the American who revived the town's silver craft in the 1930s. It shows pre-Hispanic pieces, including Olmec and Mezcala-style works, plus a gallery on silversmithing.
When you get to Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
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 Ixcateopan?
About 5 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 308 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Uruapan by car?
About 308 miles (495 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 Ixcateopan?
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 Ixcateopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guerrero 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 Ixcateopan use?
In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-55, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Uruapan and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Toluca Cathedral (catholic cathedral, mile 208, 1 mi from the route); Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 270, 0.1 mi from the route); William Spratling Museum (museum, mile 286, 0.4 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.