Atlixco to Metztitlán Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Atlixco to Metztitlán is 158 miles (254 km), about 3 h 21 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. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Metztitlán. See the full advisory for current details.
Museo de Historia y Antropología de CholulaCuartel del Arte en Pachuca, HidalgoParque de los Niños Héroes, PachucaMuseo de Medicina Laboral y Centro Cultural Nicolás ZavalaEl Chico National ParkTemplo y exconvento de San AgustínBarranca de MetztitlánBiosphere Reserve Barranca de MetztitlánAtlixcoMetztitlán
Route from Atlixco to Metztitlán with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance158 mi (254 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 21 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 → HGO 37
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 6.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Metztitlán is like

MEX-M40D (46 mi) and MEX-105 (32 mi) carry about 49% of the 158 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Atlixco to Metztitlán, 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-M40D39–8546Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-13285–883State of Mexico, Hidalgo
connecting roads88–891Hidalgo
MEX-8889–10415Hidalgo
local roads104–1073Hidalgo
MEX-105107–12417Hidalgo
local roads124–1273Hidalgo
MEX-105127–14215Hidalgo
connecting roads142–1442Hidalgo
HGO 37144–15713Hidalgo
local roads157–1581Hidalgo
  • 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 86 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Atlixco and Metztitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Medicina Laboral y Centro Cultural Nicolás Zavala (mile 112), Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (mile 127), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 142), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 150)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca (mile 109), El Chico National Park (mile 113), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 142), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 150)
  • Museums and history: Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula (mile 21), Cuartel del Arte en Pachuca, Hidalgo (mile 108), Museo de Medicina Laboral y Centro Cultural Nicolás Zavala (mile 112)

Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula

Mile 21 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Run by INAH, the Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula is the site museum for Cholula's archaeological zone. Don't confuse it with the Museo Regional de Cholula, two blocks away.

Cuartel del Arte en Pachuca, Hidalgo

Mile 108 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

In downtown Pachuca, the Cuartel del Arte is an art gallery presenting painting and sculpture exhibitions by Mexican and international artists.

Parque de los Niños Héroes, Pachuca

Mile 109 · Park · 2 mi from the route

The Jardín de los Niños Héroes is a public park in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Museo de Medicina Laboral y Centro Cultural Nicolás Zavala

Mile 112 · Museum · 0.9 mi from the route

Occupational medicine and mining history are the focus of this museum in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, which keeps the original facilities, furniture and medical equipment. Pachuca's mining archive and museum runs it.

El Chico National Park

Mile 113 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Templo y exconvento de San Agustín

Mile 127 · Convent · 0.7 mi from the route

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

Mile 142 · Canyon · 0.1 mi from the route

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

Mile 150 · Biosphere reserve · 0.6 mi from the route

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

Convent · in 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

From Atlixco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Atlixco to Metztitlán?

About 3 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 158 miles.

How far is Metztitlán from Atlixco by car?

About 158 miles (254 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 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 Atlixco to Metztitlán?

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 Metztitlán use?

In order: MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, 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 Atlixco and Metztitlán?

Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (convent, mile 127, 0.7 mi from the route); Barranca de Metztitlán (canyon, mile 142, 0.1 mi from the route); Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (biosphere reserve, mile 150, 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.