Aguascalientes to Manzanillo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Aguascalientes to Manzanillo is 317 miles (510 km), about 5 h 34 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Colima is the Mexican state that contains Manzanillo. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los LagosParque Walt DisneyAcuario Michin GuadalajaraEl IxtépeteCiudad Guzmán CathedralMuseo Arqueológico de Ciudad GuzmánMuseo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa PomarMuseo Comunitario de la SalAguascalientesManzanillo
Route from Aguascalientes to Manzanillo with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance317 mi (510 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 34 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54 → MEX-110 → MEX-200D
Mexican states on the routeAguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Aguascalientes to Manzanillo is like

MEX-54D (89 mi) and MEX-80D (87 mi) carry about 56% of the 317 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-15, MEX-54, MEX-110 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Colima. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Aguascalientes to Manzanillo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Aguascalientes
MEX-452–1917Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D19–3314Jalisco
local roads33–4512Jalisco
MEX-80D45–13287Jalisco
MEX-15D132–1375Jalisco
local roads137–1414Jalisco
MEX-15141–15817Jalisco
MEX-54D158–24789Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54247–2558Colima
MEX-110255–27924Colima
connecting roads279–2812Colima
MEX-200D281–31433Colima
local roads314–3173Colima
  • Mile 16 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 238 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

Stops between Aguascalientes and Manzanillo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 291)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Walt Disney (mile 135)
  • Museums and history: Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 51), El Ixtépete (mile 142), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 213), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 213), Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (mile 252), Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 291)
  • With kids: Acuario Michin Guadalajara (mile 137)

Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos

Mile 51 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.

Parque Walt Disney

Mile 135 · Park · 1 mi from the route

Despite sharing a name with Walt Disney, this recreational space in Guadalajara's Colonia Olímpica has no direct theme tied to Disney's amusement parks.

Acuario Michin Guadalajara

Mile 137 · Public aquarium · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Acuario Michin Guadalajara is an aquarium in the city of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

El Ixtépete

Mile 142 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Zapopan's El Ixtépete preserves a pyramid built around AD 650-750, during the Grillo tradition, with at least seven superimposed construction phases; the site lies within the Guadalajara metro area near the Periférico and Avenida Mariano Otero.

Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral

Mile 213 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.

Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán

Mile 213 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in the 1950s with writer Juan José Arreola among its promoters, this INAH museum in Ciudad Guzmán shows stone and ceramic pieces from western Mexico, colonial-era religious art and sketches by muralist José Clemente Orozco.

Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar

Mile 252 · Art gallery · 1 mi from the route

Founded by collector María Teresa Pomar and run by the University of Colima, this museum is dedicated to Mexican folk art and handcrafts (artesanía), with pieces from across the country as well as the traditions of Colima state.

Museo Comunitario de la Sal

Mile 291 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Set in an old warehouse in Cuyutlán, the community Salt Museum (Museo Comunitario de la Sal) explains how local salt has been harvested, from the old tapeixtle technique to modern methods, with historic photos of the salt works.

More drives to Manzanillo

From Aguascalientes to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Aguascalientes to Manzanillo?

About 5 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 317 miles.

How far is Manzanillo from Aguascalientes by car?

About 317 miles (510 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 Aguascalientes to Manzanillo?

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 Aguascalientes to Manzanillo?

The U.S. State Department rates Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Aguascalientes to Manzanillo use?

In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-54D, MEX-54, MEX-110 and MEX-200D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Aguascalientes and Manzanillo?

Closest to the road: Parque Walt Disney (park, mile 135, 1 mi from the route); El Ixtépete (archaeological site, mile 142, 1 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 291, 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.