Atlixco to Jilotepec Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Atlixco to Jilotepec is 151 miles (243 km), about 2 h 31 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 CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. State of Mexico is the Mexican state that contains Jilotepec. See the full advisory for current details.
International Museum of the BaroqueTonantzintla ObservatoryMuseo Regional de CholulaCacaxtlaXochitecatlAqueduct of Padre TemblequeMuseo Arqueológico de ApaxcoAtlantean figuresJorge R. Acosta MuseumAtlixcoJilotepec
Route from Atlixco to Jilotepec with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance151 mi (243 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 31 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 6.1 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 Jilotepec is like

MEX-M40D (110 mi) and MEX-190D (13 mi) carry about 81% of the 151 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 4 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Atlixco to Jilotepec, 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-M40D39–149110Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
local roads149–1512State of Mexico
  • 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 148 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)

Stops between Atlixco and Jilotepec

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.

Tonantzintla Observatory

Mile 18 · Observatory · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.

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.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 83 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

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.

Atlantean figures

Mile 134 · Atlantean figures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents 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 Jilotepec

From Atlixco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Atlixco to Jilotepec?

About 2 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 151 miles.

How far is Jilotepec from Atlixco by car?

About 151 miles (243 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 Jilotepec?

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 Jilotepec?

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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Atlixco to Jilotepec use?

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

What are good stops between Atlixco and Jilotepec?

Closest to the road: International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 16, 1 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, 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.