The Wayro route from Atlixco to San Juan de los Lagos is 368 miles (592 km), about 5 h 55 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 368 mi (592 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-80 |
| 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), Jalisco (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.7 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 San Juan de los Lagos is like
MEX-45D (114 mi) and MEX-M40D (106 mi) carry about 60% of the 368 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-80 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Atlixco to San Juan de los Lagos, 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 | 234–348 | 114 | Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-80 | 348–364 | 16 | Jalisco |
| local roads | 364–368 | 4 | Jalisco |
- 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)
- Mile 331 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
Stops between Atlixco and San Juan de los Lagos
- Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 32), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 222)
- Museums and history: International Museum of the Baroque (mile 16), Teotihuacan (mile 86), Tula (mile 134), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 134), 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.
Tonantzintla Observatory
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.
Great Pyramid of Cholula
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.
Parque nacional Xicoténcatl
Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.
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.
Tula
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
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.
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.
When you get to San Juan de los Lagos
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos
Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.
More drives to San Juan de los Lagos
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to San Juan de los Lagos
- Zacatecas to San Juan de los Lagos
- Fresnillo to San Juan de los Lagos
- Durango to San Juan de los Lagos
- Mazatlán to San Juan de los Lagos
- Culiacán to San Juan de los Lagos
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 San Juan de los Lagos?
About 5 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 368 miles.
How far is San Juan de los Lagos from Atlixco by car?
About 368 miles (592 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 San Juan de los Lagos?
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 San Juan de los Lagos?
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; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Atlixco to San Juan de los Lagos use?
In order: MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D and MEX-80. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Atlixco and San Juan de los Lagos?
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.