Alpine to Chihuahua, Mexico: Border Crossing, Route & Stops

By admin, 30 September, 2026

The Wayro route from Alpine to Chihuahua is 239 miles (385 km), about 5 h 9 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 87 on this route, near the Presidio port of entry.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Chihuahua — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Chihuahua is the Mexican state that contains Chihuahua. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
El Paisano HotelU.S.–Mexico borderAlpineChihuahua
Route from Alpine to Chihuahua with the 1 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate U.S.–Mexico border crossing (red square).
Distance239 mi (385 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 9 min
Main roads, in orderUS-67 → CHIH 18 → CHIH D → MEX-16 → CHIH 85
Border crossingabout mile 87 of this route, Texas → Chihuahua (near the Presidio, TX port of entry)
Mexican states on the routeChihuahua (Level 3)
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 9.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below1

Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Chihuahua

PassportPassport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land
FMM entry permitRequired for this trip: Chihuahua is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed
Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP)Required for a U.S.-registered vehicle this far into Mexico
Mexican auto insuranceRequired for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross

Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.

Crossing at Presidio

The Presidio-Ojinaga International Bridge, run on the U.S. side by TxDOT, links Presidio with Ojinaga, Chihuahua. It handles passenger vehicles, pedestrians, buses and trucks, has SENTRI and FAST lanes, and joins US 67 to Mexican Highway 16.

Sources: [1] [2]

What the drive from Alpine to Chihuahua is like

US-67 (86 mi) and CHIH D (69 mi) carry about 65% of the 239 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Texas for about 87 miles; after the border at Presidio you have about 152 miles left in Mexico. Of the 1 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Alpine to Chihuahua, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
US-670–8686Texas
connecting roads86–915Texas, Chihuahua
CHIH 1891–11625Chihuahua
CHIH D116–18569Chihuahua
MEX-16185–21732Chihuahua
CHIH 85217–2214Chihuahua
MEX-16221–23716Chihuahua
local roads237–2392Chihuahua
  • Mile 87 of this route: Texas → Chihuahua (international border)

Stops between Alpine and Chihuahua

El Paisano Hotel

Mile 26 · Hotel · 0.2 mi from the route

Designed by El Paso architect Henry C. Trost and opened in 1930, this Marfa hotel hosted Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean during the 1955 filming of Giant, and it still displays memorabilia from the movie.

When you get to Chihuahua

Silver strikes at nearby Santa Eulalia in 1704 led to the founding of Chihuahua in 1709, where the Chuvíscar and Sacramento rivers meet on the high plains of the north. Today the state capital's historic center gathers around a Baroque cathedral built from 1725 to 1826, with mansions and museums tied to the Mexican Revolution a few blocks away.

  • Catedral de Chihuahua: Facing the Plaza de Armas, the Baroque cathedral took more than a century to build, and a museum of sacred art occupies a basement behind it. source
  • Palacio de Gobierno: Murals trace Chihuahua's history from colonial times to the Revolution, and the building marks the spot where Father Miguel Hidalgo was executed. source
  • Museo Casa de Villa: Pancho Villa's former home preserves his belongings, including the car in which he was assassinated in Hidalgo del Parral. source

Cathedral of Chihuahua

Cathedral · in Chihuahua

Construction on this Baroque cathedral began in 1725 and stretched over more than a century. It anchors the Plaza de Armas in downtown Chihuahua, and a museum of sacred art occupies its basement.

Cruz de Clavos

Monument · in Chihuahua

In Chihuahua City, the Cruz de Clavos is a memorial honoring victims of femicide in the state of Chihuahua.

Museo Casa Juárez

Museum · in Chihuahua

In downtown Chihuahua, the Museo Casa de Juárez occupies the house where President Benito Juárez and Margarita Maza lived when the city served as the seat of the federal government in 1864; it now holds permanent and temporary exhibitions.

More drives to Chihuahua

From Alpine to other places in Mexico

All routes to Chihuahua, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Chihuahua, Mexico from the U.S.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Alpine to Chihuahua?

About 5 h 9 min of driving without stops, over 239 miles.

How far is Chihuahua from Alpine by car?

About 239 miles (385 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.

Where does the Alpine to Chihuahua drive cross into Mexico?

At about mile 87 of this route, from Texas into Chihuahua, near the Presidio port of entry.

Do I need a permit to drive my car from Alpine to Chihuahua?

Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car this far into Mexico. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.

Is it safe to drive from Alpine to Chihuahua?

The U.S. State Department rates Chihuahua Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Alpine to Chihuahua use?

In order: US-67, CHIH 18, CHIH D, MEX-16 and CHIH 85. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Alpine and Chihuahua?

Closest to the road: El Paisano Hotel (hotel, mile 26, 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.