Uruapan to Mineral de Pozos Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Uruapan to Mineral de Pozos is 232 miles (373 km), about 4 h 7 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Guanajuato is the Mexican state that contains Mineral de Pozos. 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 MoreliaEl CerritoClaustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio ConinFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasUruapanMineral de Pozos
Route from Uruapan to Mineral de Pozos with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance232 mi (373 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 7 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-43D → MEX-45D → MEX-57 → GTO 100
Mexican states on the routeMichoacán (Level 4), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-43D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 9.3 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 Mineral de Pozos is like

MEX-43D (51 mi) and MEX-45D (48 mi) carry about 43% of the 232 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-43D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 3 states: Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Uruapan to Mineral de Pozos, 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
connecting roads131–1321Guanajuato
MEX-45D132–18048Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57180–21939Querétaro, Guanajuato
local roads219–2234Guanajuato
GTO 100223–2329Guanajuato
  • Mile 95 of this route: Michoacán → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 174 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 206 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)

Stops between Uruapan and Mineral de Pozos

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (mile 181)
  • Museums and history: Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro (mile 33), Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 33), El Cerrito (mile 177), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 193)

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.

El Cerrito

Mile 177 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Just outside Querétaro city in Corregidora, El Cerrito is an INAH archaeological zone centered on a pyramid close to 100 feet high, later topped by a 19th-century fort, with a small site museum on the grounds.

Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin

Mile 181 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The Cloister of San Felipe Neri in central Querétaro was part of the Oratorian convent and stands beside the Templo de San Felipe Neri, now the city's cathedral.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 193 · Historic site · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.

More drives to Mineral de Pozos

From Uruapan to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Uruapan to Mineral de Pozos?

About 4 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 232 miles.

How far is Mineral de Pozos from Uruapan by car?

About 232 miles (373 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 Mineral de Pozos?

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 Mineral de Pozos?

The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro 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 Mineral de Pozos use?

In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-43D, MEX-45D, MEX-57 and GTO 100. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Uruapan and Mineral de Pozos?

Closest to the road: Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (museum, mile 33, 1 mi from the route); Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro (minor basilica, mile 33, 2 mi from the route); Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (convent, mile 181, 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.