Calpulalpan to Pinos Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Calpulalpan to Pinos is 341 miles (548 km), about 6 h 27 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: 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; San Luis Potosí — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Pinos. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Aqueduct of Padre TemblequeTeotihuacanAtlantean figuresHistoric Monuments Zone of QuerétaroCasa de la CorregidoraFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasEl Gogorrón National ParkFederico Silva MuseumCentro de las Artes de San Luis PotosíCalpulalpanPinos
Route from Calpulalpan to Pinos with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance341 mi (548 km)
Driving time, no stops6 h 27 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-49 → ZAC 291
Mexican states on the routeTlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), San Luis Potosí (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.6 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 Calpulalpan to Pinos is like

MEX-57 (108 mi) and MEX-57D (87 mi) carry about 57% of the 341 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-49 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 7 states: Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Calpulalpan to Pinos, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D4–8278Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads82–831Hidalgo
MEX-57D83–17087Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-57170–278108Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
connecting roads278–2813San Luis Potosí
MEX-49281–32443San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas
ZAC 291324–33915Zacatecas
local roads339–3412Zacatecas
  • Mile 4 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 11 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 24 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 40 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 55 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 84 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 117 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 177 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 231 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
  • Mile 312 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Calpulalpan and Pinos

  • Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 257)
  • Museums and history: Teotihuacan (mile 22), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 162), Federico Silva Museum (mile 278), Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí (mile 278)

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 21 · 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.

Teotihuacan

Mile 22 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 71 · 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.

Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro

Mile 153 · Old town · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.

Casa de la Corregidora

Mile 155 · Building · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Completed in 1770 as Querétaro's royal houses and town hall, the Casa de la Corregidora is where Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, held there in 1810, sent word of danger to Miguel Hidalgo. After independence it became the state government palace.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 162 · Historic site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.

El Gogorrón National Park

Mile 257 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.

Federico Silva Museum

Mile 278 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Opened on September 18, 2003, in San Luis Potosí's historic center, the Federico Silva Museum is devoted entirely to sculpture.

Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí

Mile 278 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

San Luis Potosí's Centro de las Artes Centenario occupies the state's former penitentiary on Calzada de Guadalupe, an eclectic-style building listed as a historic monument by INAH.

More drives to Pinos

From Calpulalpan to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Calpulalpan to Pinos?

About 6 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 341 miles.

How far is Pinos from Calpulalpan by car?

About 341 miles (548 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 Calpulalpan to Pinos?

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 Calpulalpan to Pinos?

The U.S. State Department rates 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; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Calpulalpan to Pinos use?

In order: MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-49 and ZAC 291. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Calpulalpan and Pinos?

Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 71, 1 mi from the route); Federico Silva Museum (museum, mile 278, 1 mi from the route); Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí (museum, mile 278, 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.