The Wayro route from Uruapan to Poza Rica is 382 miles (615 km), about 6 h 8 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 382 mi (615 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-14D → MEX-37D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-132D → MEX-130 |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.3 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 Poza Rica is like
MEX-M40D (93 mi) and MEX-15D (92 mi) carry about 48% of the 382 miles. MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-132, MEX-130 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Uruapan to Poza Rica, 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 | 167–260 | 93 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-132 | 260–283 | 23 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-132D | 283–371 | 88 | Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 371–372 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-130 | 372–380 | 8 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 380–382 | 2 | Veracruz |
- 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 309 of this route: Hidalgo → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 363 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Stops between Uruapan and Poza Rica
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Huapalcalco (mile 291)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 145)
- Museums and history: Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro (mile 33), Museo de Artes e Industrias Populares (mile 33), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 127), Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco (mile 227), Museo del Ferrocarril (mile 289), Huapalcalco (mile 291)
Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Pátzcuaro
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
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.
Atlantean figures
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 Arqueológico de Apaxco
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.
Museo del Ferrocarril
This former railway station on the old Hidalgo Railroad line to Mexico City now works as a museum, with photographs of its construction and the office and bookkeeping objects used in its day.
Huapalcalco
About 5 kilometers north of Tulancingo, the pre-Columbian site of Huapalcalco sits on the western slope of a hill called Tecolote.
When you get to Poza Rica
El Tajín
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, El Tajín peaked from the early 9th to the early 13th century. Look for the Pyramid of the Niches, elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes, and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.
More drives to Poza Rica
- Cholula to Poza Rica
- Toluca to Poza Rica
- Cuernavaca to Poza Rica
- Salamanca to Poza Rica
- Morelia to Poza Rica
- Zamora to Poza Rica
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 Poza Rica?
About 6 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 382 miles.
How far is Poza Rica from Uruapan by car?
About 382 miles (615 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 Poza Rica?
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 Poza Rica?
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; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz 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 Poza Rica use?
In order: MEX-14D, MEX-37D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-132D and MEX-130. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Uruapan and Poza Rica?
Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 127, 1 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 211, 1 mi from the route); Huapalcalco (archaeological site, mile 291, 0.2 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.