The Wayro route from Atlixco to Pénjamo is 314 miles (505 km), about 5 h 13 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 314 mi (505 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 13 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-90 |
| Mexican states on the route | Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.6 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 Atlixco to Pénjamo is like
MEX-M40D (106 mi) and MEX-47D (53 mi) carry about 51% of the 314 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-90 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Atlixco to Pénjamo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 3–16 | 13 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 16–25 | 9 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 25–26 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 26–39 | 13 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 39–145 | 106 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 145–146 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-57D | 146–181 | 35 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro |
| MEX-47D | 181–234 | 53 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 234–283 | 49 | Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 283–284 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-90 | 284–312 | 28 | Guanajuato |
| local roads | 312–314 | 2 | Guanajuato |
- 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)
- Mile 221 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
Stops between Atlixco and Pénjamo
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 222)
- Museums and history: International Museum of the Baroque (mile 16), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 17), Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula (mile 21), Cholula (mile 21), Teotihuacan (mile 86), Celaya Cathedral (mile 246)
International Museum of the Baroque
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.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula
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.
Cholula
Cholula's Great Pyramid grew in successive construction phases around an adobe core. INAH repair work on its Pocito staircase after the 2017 earthquakes turned up broken pre-Hispanic braziers and a small limestone figure of the rain god Tláloc.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
Atlantean figures
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.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
Celaya Cathedral
Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.
Tequila Corralejo
Tequila Corralejo is distilled in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, at the historic Hacienda de Corralejo, where the brand, established in 1996, offers guided tours and hosts social events.
More drives to Pénjamo
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Pénjamo
- Zacatecas to Pénjamo
- Jerez, Zacatecas to Pénjamo
- Fresnillo to Pénjamo
- Durango to Pénjamo
- Mazatlán to Pénjamo
From Atlixco to other places in Mexico
- Atlixco to Zacatelco
- Atlixco to Tlaxcala
- Atlixco to Apizaco
- Atlixco to Ixtenco
- Atlixco to Tlaxco
- Atlixco to Calpulalpan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Atlixco to Pénjamo?
About 5 h 13 min of driving without stops, over 314 miles.
How far is Pénjamo from Atlixco by car?
About 314 miles (505 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 Pénjamo?
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 Pénjamo?
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; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Atlixco to Pénjamo use?
In order: MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D and MEX-90. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Atlixco and Pénjamo?
Closest to the road: International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 16, 1 mi from the route); Museo de Historia y Antropología de Cholula (museum, mile 21, 1 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, 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.