Atlixco to Amealco Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Atlixco to Amealco is 199 miles (321 km), about 3 h 20 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Querétaro is the Mexican state that contains Amealco. See the full advisory for current details.
International Museum of the BaroqueGreat Pyramid of CholulaMuseo Regional de CholulaCacaxtlaXochitecatlChurch and former convent of Todos los SantosMuseo Arqueológico de ApaxcoTulaJorge R. Acosta MuseumAtlixcoAmealco
Route from Atlixco to Amealco with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance199 mi (321 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 20 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → QRO 300
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 8.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Atlixco to Amealco is like

MEX-M40D (106 mi) and MEX-57D (35 mi) carry about 71% of the 199 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Atlixco to Amealco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33Puebla
MEX-190D3–1613Puebla
MEX-19016–259Puebla
connecting roads25–261Puebla
MEX-150D26–3913Puebla
MEX-M40D39–145106Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads145–1461Hidalgo
MEX-57D146–18135Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D181–1909Querétaro
connecting roads190–1911Querétaro
QRO 300191–1998Querétaro
  • Mile 43 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 66 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 74 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 87 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 104 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 117 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 147 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 180 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)

Stops between Atlixco and Amealco

International Museum of the Baroque

Mile 16 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.

Great Pyramid of Cholula

Mile 21 · Pyramid · 2 mi from the route

Under a hilltop church dedicated to the Virgin of los Remedios lies Tlachihualtepetl, a pyramid built in superimposed stages with a base about 400 meters per side. Excavations have opened roughly 8 km of tunnels inside the mound.

Museo Regional de Cholula

Mile 21 · Anthropology museum · 1 mi from the route

Right beside the Great Pyramid and archaeological zone of Cholula, this public museum displays collections ranging from pre-Hispanic and colonial art to contemporary and folk art.

Cacaxtla

Mile 34 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.

Xochitecatl

Mile 34 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.

Church and former convent of Todos los Santos

Mile 88 · Convent · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.

Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco

Mile 118 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in 1985, the Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco sits across from the parish church of San Francisco de Asís and beside the town hall in Apaxco, State of Mexico.

Tula

Mile 134 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 134 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Next to the Tula ruins, the Museo de Sitio Jorge R. Acosta traces the rise and decline of the Toltecs and their city, Tollan Xicocotitlan. It moved into new facilities in 1982 and covers nearly 20 years of digs led by archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta.

More drives to Amealco

From Atlixco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Atlixco to Amealco?

About 3 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 199 miles.

How far is Amealco from Atlixco by car?

About 199 miles (321 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 Atlixco to Amealco?

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 Atlixco to Amealco?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Atlixco to Amealco use?

In order: MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D and QRO 300. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Atlixco and Amealco?

Closest to the road: International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 16, 1 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 134, 1 mi from the route); Jorge R. Acosta Museum (museum, mile 134, 1 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.