The Wayro route from Apizaco to Metztitlán is 127 miles (204 km), about 2 h 53 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 127 mi (204 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 → HGO 37 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 5.1 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 Apizaco to Metztitlán is like
MEX-105 (32 mi) and MEX-136 (26 mi) carry about 46% of the 127 miles. MEX-M40D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-136, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Apizaco to Metztitlán, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-136 | 1–27 | 26 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-M40D | 27–53 | 26 | Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 53–54 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 54–58 | 4 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-88 | 58–73 | 15 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 73–77 | 4 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 77–93 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| local roads | 93–96 | 3 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-105 | 96–112 | 16 | Hidalgo |
| HGO 37 | 112–127 | 15 | Hidalgo |
- Mile 35 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 43 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 55 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
Stops between Apizaco and Metztitlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): El Hiloche (mile 82), Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (mile 96), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 112), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 119)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca (mile 78), El Chico National Park (mile 82), El Hiloche (mile 82), Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla (mile 90), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 112), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 119)
- Museums and history: Museo El Rehilete (mile 73), Museo Nacional de la Fotografía (mile 77)
Museo El Rehilete
Kids head to Pachuca's interactive museum El Rehilete for its planetarium, observatory, dinosaur park, botanical garden and archaeological walk, plus a historic DC-3 airplane and a fire truck they can explore.
Museo Nacional de la Fotografía
Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, is home to the Museo Nacional de la Fotografía, a museum devoted to photography.
Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca
The Jardín de los Niños Héroes is a public park in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
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.
El Hiloche
Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.
Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla
Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.
Templo y exconvento de San Agustín
Founded in 1536 and built between 1542 and 1562, the Augustinian church and former convent of San Agustín in Atotonilco el Grande has a Plateresque design and frescoes.
Barranca de Metztitlán
Barranca de Metztitlán is a biosphere reserve in Hidalgo, protected for its steep cliffs, deep winding canyons and distinctive plants and wildlife.
Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán
The Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve protects about 96,000 hectares of eastern-central Hidalgo, where the Amajac, Metztitlán, Almolón and Metzquititlán rivers have cut four canyons, the Metztitlán gorge being the main one.
When you get to Metztitlán
Los Reyes Magos monastery, Metztitlán
Augustinian friars built the fortress-like Santos Reyes convent in Metztitlán in the 16th century, enclosing its atrium with a wall, open chapels and an atrial cross; it stands inside the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve with wide canyon views.
More drives to Metztitlán
- Pachuca to Metztitlán
- Actopan to Metztitlán
- Tulancingo to Metztitlán
- Zimapán to Metztitlán
- Otumba to Metztitlán
- Calpulalpan to Metztitlán
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 Metztitlán?
About 2 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 127 miles.
How far is Metztitlán from Apizaco by car?
About 127 miles (204 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 Metztitlán?
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 Metztitlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Apizaco to Metztitlán use?
In order: MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 and HGO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Apizaco and Metztitlán?
Closest to the road: El Hiloche (state park, mile 82, 0.4 mi from the route); Barranca de Metztitlán (canyon, mile 112, 0.1 mi from the route); Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (biosphere reserve, mile 119, 0.6 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.