The Wayro route from Actopan to Chipilo is 114 miles (184 km), about 2 h 17 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 114 mi (184 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 17 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-85 → MEX-88 → MEX-132 → MEX-M40D → MEX-150D |
| Mexican states on the route | Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-M40D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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 Actopan to Chipilo is like
MEX-M40D (46 mi) and MEX-150D (19 mi) carry about 57% of the 114 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-85, MEX-88, MEX-132 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Actopan to Chipilo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-85 | 2–16 | 14 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 16–23 | 7 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 23–38 | 15 | Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 38–39 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-132 | 39–42 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 42–88 | 46 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 88–107 | 19 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 107–110 | 3 | Puebla |
| local roads | 110–114 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 42 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 54 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 62 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 84 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
Stops between Actopan and Chipilo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): La Constancia Mexicana (mile 106)
- Nature and outdoors: El Chico National Park (mile 19)
- Museums and history: Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (mile 21), Teotihuacan (mile 42), Xochitecatl (mile 93), Cacaxtla (mile 94), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 106)
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.
Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Known locally as La Villita, the Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a Catholic basilica dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe in Pachuca.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena
The former convent of Santa María Magdalena (Exconvento de Santa María Magdalena) is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Dieguino friars, still in use as a Catholic temple of the Archdiocese of Puebla.
Xochitecatl
Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.
Cacaxtla
Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.
La Constancia Mexicana
A textile factory founded in 1835 in Puebla now houses the La Constancia museum complex, with a children's museum, a puppet house, a Mexican music museum, an automobile museum and a park of miniature world monuments.
When you get to Chipilo
Convent Church of San Francisco, Puebla
The Convent Church of San Francisco is a historic church that you'll find in the city of Puebla, in the Mexican state of Puebla.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Museo Amparo
Opened in 1991 in Puebla's historic center, Museo Amparo was sponsored by the Amparo Foundation, created in 1979 by Manuel Espinosa Yglesias in honor of his wife.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Cuernavaca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Metepec to Chipilo
From Actopan to other places in Mexico
- Actopan to Otumba
- Actopan to Cadereyta
- Actopan to Ezequiel Montes
- Actopan to Amealco
- Actopan to Pedro Escobedo
- Actopan to El Oro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Actopan to Chipilo?
About 2 h 17 min of driving without stops, over 114 miles.
How far is Chipilo from Actopan by car?
About 114 miles (184 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 Actopan to Chipilo?
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 Actopan to Chipilo?
The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Actopan to Chipilo use?
In order: MEX-85, MEX-88, MEX-132, MEX-M40D and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Actopan and Chipilo?
Closest to the road: Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena (convent, mile 88, 1 mi from the route); Xochitecatl (archaeological site, mile 93, 2 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 106, 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.