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

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Uruapan to Omitlán is 275 miles (442 km), about 4 h 36 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 CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Omitlán. 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 ParkAtlantean figuresMuseo El RehileteCentro Interactivo Mundo FutbolParque de los Niños Héroes, PachucaMuseo de Mineralogía de la UAEHUruapanOmitlán
Route from Uruapan to Omitlán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance275 mi (442 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 36 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-85 → MEX-105
Mexican states on the routeMichoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 11.0 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 Omitlán is like

MEX-15D (92 mi) and MEX-M40D (78 mi) carry about 62% of the 275 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 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Uruapan to Omitlán, 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-M40D167–24578State of Mexico, Hidalgo
connecting roads245–2461Hidalgo
MEX-85246–25711Hidalgo
local roads257–2658Hidalgo
MEX-105265–2705Hidalgo
local roads270–2755Hidalgo
  • 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 Omitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo El Rehilete (mile 259), Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 260)
  • Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 145), Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca (mile 266)
  • Museums and history: Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro (mile 33), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 127), Museo El Rehilete (mile 259), Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 260), Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH (mile 266)

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.

Atlantean figures

Mile 211 · Atlantean figures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.

Museo El Rehilete

Mile 259 · Museum · 0.3 mi from the route

Kids head to Pachuca's interactive museum El Rehilete for its planetarium, observatory, dinosaur park, botanical garden and archaeological walk, plus a historic DC-3 airplane and a fire truck they can explore.

Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol

Mile 260 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Centro Interactivo Mundo Fútbol is an interactive museum devoted to soccer, located in the city of Pachuca de Soto in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca

Mile 266 · Park · 1 mi from the route

The Jardín de los Niños Héroes is a public park in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH

Mile 266 · Mineralogical museum · 2 mi from the route

Inside the central building of the state university in downtown Pachuca, the UAEH Mineralogy Museum displays minerals and rocks and is one of the longest-running museums of its kind in Mexico.

When you get to Omitlán

Museo de Medicina Laboral y Centro Cultural Nicolás Zavala

Museum · in Omitlán

Occupational medicine and mining history are the focus of this museum in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, which keeps the original facilities, furniture and medical equipment. Pachuca's mining archive and museum runs it.

La Dificultad Mine Museum

Museum · in Omitlán

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.

El Hiloche

State park · in Omitlán

Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.

More drives to Omitlán

From Uruapan to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Uruapan to Omitlán?

About 4 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 275 miles.

How far is Omitlán from Uruapan by car?

About 275 miles (442 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 Omitlán?

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 Omitlán?

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 Omitlán 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 Omitlán?

Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 211, 1 mi from the route); Museo El Rehilete (museum, mile 259, 0.3 mi from the route); Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (museum, mile 260, 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.