The Wayro route from Apizaco to Ixcateopan is 178 miles (287 km), about 3 h 45 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 178 mi (287 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 45 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-117D → MEX-119D → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), Guerrero (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-117D, MEX-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Apizaco to Ixcateopan is like
MEX-94D (38 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 40% of the 178 miles. MEX-117D, MEX-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-95 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 4 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Apizaco to Ixcateopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 3–14 | 11 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 14–15 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119D | 15–25 | 10 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| local roads | 25–46 | 21 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 46–80 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 80–118 | 38 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 118–123 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 123–130 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 130–149 | 19 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 149–151 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 151–156 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 156–157 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 157–178 | 21 | Guerrero |
- Mile 23 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 73 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 143 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Apizaco and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 10), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 157), William Spratling Museum (mile 157)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 145)
- Museums and history: Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 10), Casa del Caballero Águila (mile 30), Chalcatzingo (mile 81), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 82), Xochicalco (mile 130), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 157), William Spratling Museum (mile 157)
Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco
Ocotelulco was the principal Tlaxcalan lordship in 1519; its site museum displays about 750 excavated objects beside temple remains painted with Tezcatlipoca and the fire serpent, and an ethnobotanical garden surrounds the building.
Casa del Caballero Águila
Facing the old pre-Hispanic plaza of San Pedro Cholula, the Casa del Caballero Águila is a colonial house built in the late 16th century.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco
Silver baron José de la Borda paid for Santa Prisca with the bonanza from his San Ignacio mine in Taxco, and the church was dedicated in 1759, the same year his nearby house on the plaza was finished.
William Spratling Museum
Taxco's archaeological museum grew from the collection of William Spratling, the American who revived the town's silver craft in the 1930s. It shows pre-Hispanic pieces, including Olmec and Mezcala-style works, plus a gallery on silversmithing.
When you get to Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
From Apizaco to other places in Mexico
- Apizaco to Omitlán
- Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Apizaco to Atlatlahucan
- Apizaco to Metepec
- Apizaco to Jilotepec
- Apizaco to Malinalco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Apizaco to Ixcateopan?
About 3 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 178 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Apizaco by car?
About 178 miles (287 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 Apizaco to Ixcateopan?
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 Apizaco to Ixcateopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Apizaco to Ixcateopan use?
In order: MEX-117D, MEX-119D, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Apizaco and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (museum, mile 10, 0.4 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church building, mile 157, 0.4 mi from the route); William Spratling Museum (museum, mile 157, 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.