The Wayro route from Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo is 103 miles (165 km), about 2 h 2 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 103 mi (165 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-119 → MEX-117D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-117D, MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.1 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 Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo is like
MEX-M40D (42 mi) and MEX-117D (15 mi) carry about 55% of the 103 miles. MEX-117D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-119, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-119 | 0–6 | 6 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 6–21 | 15 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 21–63 | 42 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 63–64 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 64–67 | 3 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 67–68 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 68–83 | 15 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 83–86 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 86–97 | 11 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 97–103 | 6 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 19 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 23 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 45 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 53 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 65 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
Stops between Zacatelco and Huasca de Ocampo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Church and former convent of Todos los Santos (mile 71), El Hiloche (mile 92)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Cultural Hidalguense (mile 83), El Chico National Park (mile 92), El Hiloche (mile 92)
- Museums and history: Tlaxcala Cathedral (mile 9), Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia de Tlaxcala (mile 9), Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol (mile 83), Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH (mile 88)
Tlaxcala Cathedral
Part of a 16th-century Franciscan complex among the earliest in the Americas, Tlaxcala's cathedral is famous for its carved Mudéjar-style wooden ceiling. Look for the freestanding bell tower and the stone font where Tlaxcalan lords were baptized.
Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia de Tlaxcala
Set in the cloisters of Tlaxcala's former Franciscan convent, founded in 1528, the regional museum (Museo Regional de Tlaxcala) traces the state from paleontology and pre-Hispanic cultures through the colonial era to the Revolution, with pottery, sculpture and paintings.
Church and former convent of Todos los Santos
Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.
Parque Cultural Hidalguense
Formerly Parque David Ben Gurión, Pachuca's Parque Cultural Hidalguense reopened in 2025 after a major renovation, with a monumental chess board, an artificial lake with fountains, a skate park and Byron Gálvez's restored artwork known as el Pisal.
Centro Interactivo Mundo Futbol
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.
Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco
The Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco is a theater in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH
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.
El Chico National Park
In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.
El Hiloche
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.
When you get to Huasca de Ocampo
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.
More drives to Huasca de Ocampo
- Actopan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Otumba to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tepotzotlán to Huasca de Ocampo
- Mexico City to Huasca de Ocampo
- Jilotepec to Huasca de Ocampo
- Zimapán to Huasca de Ocampo
From Zacatelco to other places in Mexico
- Zacatelco to Tlaxco
- Zacatelco to Calpulalpan
- Zacatelco to Otumba
- Zacatelco to Atlatlahucan
- Zacatelco to Omitlán
- Zacatelco to Actopan
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo?
About 2 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 103 miles.
How far is Huasca de Ocampo from Zacatelco by car?
About 103 miles (165 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 Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo?
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 Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo use?
In order: MEX-119, MEX-117D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88 and MEX-105. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Zacatelco and Huasca de Ocampo?
Closest to the road: Church and former convent of Todos los Santos (convent, mile 71, 0.6 mi from the route); Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco (theatre building, mile 88, 1 mi from the route); El Hiloche (state park, mile 92, 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.