The Wayro route from Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos is 408 miles (656 km), about 7 h 20 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 408 mi (656 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-23 → MEX-35 → JAL 122 → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-GUA 10D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.3 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 Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos is like
MEX-15D (203 mi) and MEX-5D (55 mi) carry about 63% of the 408 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-23, MEX-35, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-23 | 1–16 | 15 | Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 16–17 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-35 | 17–46 | 29 | Jalisco |
| JAL 122 | 46–52 | 6 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 52–255 | 203 | Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 255–288 | 33 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 288–289 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-57D | 289–310 | 21 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-5D | 310–365 | 55 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 365–386 | 21 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 386–408 | 22 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
- Mile 69 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 237 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 287 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 308 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 395 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Ajijic and San Miguel, Morelos
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 300), Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec (mile 332)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 234), El Tepeyac National Park (mile 340), Cerro de la Estrella National Park (mile 345), Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 379)
- Museums and history: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 216), Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec (mile 332), Acozac (mile 364)
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.
Templo y exconvento de San Francisco
The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, also called Ecatepec Cathedral, is the main Catholic church and seat of the Diocese of Ecatepec in Mexico, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
El Tepeyac National Park
Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
Cerro de la Estrella National Park
Rising in eastern Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough, Cerro de la Estrella is where the Mexica lit the New Fire every 52 years; trails lead up to a pyramid-shaped site museum near the summit and to caves with traces of pre-Hispanic use.
Acozac
Acozac is an archaeological site in the municipality of Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico, located at kilometer 30 of the federal Mexico City–Puebla road, heading toward Ixtapaluca.
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.
When you get to San Miguel, Morelos
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
More drives to San Miguel, Morelos
- Cuernavaca to San Miguel, Morelos
- Zacatelco to San Miguel, Morelos
- Mexico City to San Miguel, Morelos
- Tlaxcala to San Miguel, Morelos
- Chiautempan to San Miguel, Morelos
- Apizaco to San Miguel, Morelos
From Ajijic to other places in Mexico
- Ajijic to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Ajijic to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Ajijic to Real de Asientos
- Ajijic to Nombre de Dios
- Ajijic to Mineral de Pozos
- Ajijic to Bernal
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos?
About 7 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 408 miles.
How far is San Miguel, Morelos from Ajijic by car?
About 408 miles (656 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 Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos?
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 Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Ajijic to San Miguel, Morelos use?
In order: MEX-23, MEX-35, JAL 122, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Ajijic and San Miguel, Morelos?
Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 216, 1 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 300, 0.6 mi from the route); Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec (cathedral, mile 332, 0.7 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.