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

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Calvillo to Metztitlán is 354 miles (569 km), about 7 h 16 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Metztitlán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Teatro AguascalientesParque Rodolfo LanderosCelaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasEl Cimatario National ParkMuseo de Arqueología e Historia de HuichapanMuseo de la Cultura Hñähñu y Centro Cultural del Valle del MezquitalChurch of San Miguel ArcángelTolantongo CanyonCalvilloMetztitlán
Route from Calvillo to Metztitlán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance354 mi (569 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 16 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-70 → MEX-71 → MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-85
Mexican states on the routeAguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 14.1 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 Calvillo to Metztitlán is like

MEX-45D (142 mi) and MEX-45 (66 mi) carry about 59% of the 354 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-70, MEX-71, MEX-45, MEX-85 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Calvillo to Metztitlán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-700–2626Aguascalientes
connecting roads26–271Aguascalientes
MEX-7127–336Aguascalientes
MEX-4533–4916Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D49–191142Jalisco, Guanajuato
MEX-47D191–24352Guanajuato, Querétaro
connecting roads243–2452Querétaro
MEX-45245–29550Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-85295–3005Hidalgo
local roads300–35454Hidalgo
  • Mile 46 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 94 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 204 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 251 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 254 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Calvillo and Metztitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro Aguascalientes (mile 33), Parque Rodolfo Landeros (mile 33), Museo de Arqueología e Historia de Huichapan (mile 267), Museo de la Cultura Hñähñu y Centro Cultural del Valle del Mezquital (mile 300), Church of San Miguel Arcángel (mile 300)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Rodolfo Landeros (mile 33), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 203), El Cimatario National Park (mile 208), Tolantongo Canyon (mile 327)
  • Museums and history: Teatro Aguascalientes (mile 33), Celaya Cathedral (mile 179), Museo de Arqueología e Historia de Huichapan (mile 267), Museo de la Cultura Hñähñu y Centro Cultural del Valle del Mezquital (mile 300)

Teatro Aguascalientes

Mile 33 · Opera house · 0.9 mi from the route

Teatro Aguascalientes is the city's main opera house, a modern building by architect Abraham Zabludovsky with seating for about 1,650 people.

Parque Rodolfo Landeros

Mile 33 · Park · 0.5 mi from the route

Also called Parque Héroes, this environmental and recreation park on Avenida José María Chávez in Aguascalientes has an artificial lake, bike rentals and several other attractions.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 179 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 203 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 208 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

Museo de Arqueología e Historia de Huichapan

Mile 267 · Museum · 0.7 mi from the route

Huichapan's archaeology and history museum displays pre-Hispanic vessels, arrowheads, a funerary offering, shell and jade necklaces, replicas of rock paintings and pieces linked to the Mezquital Valley, plus workshops, film series and performances.

Museo de la Cultura Hñähñu y Centro Cultural del Valle del Mezquital

Mile 300 · Museum · 0.1 mi from the route

In Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, the Museo de la Cultura Hñähñu y Centro Cultural del Valle del Mezquital works as both a museum and a cultural center.

Church of San Miguel Arcángel

Mile 300 · Convent · 0.2 mi from the route

Ixmiquilpan's 16th-century Church of San Miguel Arcángel is known for its murals with religious and secular scenes, and for a design that blends European and Indigenous traditions.

Tolantongo Canyon

Mile 327 · Canyon · 1 mi from the route

Barranca de Tolantongo is a deep canyon in Hidalgo state whose walls rise as high as 500 meters.

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 Calvillo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Calvillo to Metztitlán?

About 7 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 354 miles.

How far is Metztitlán from Calvillo by car?

About 354 miles (569 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 Calvillo 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 Calvillo to Metztitlán?

The U.S. State Department rates Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Calvillo to Metztitlán use?

In order: MEX-70, MEX-71, MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-47D and MEX-85. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Calvillo and Metztitlán?

Closest to the road: Parque Rodolfo Landeros (park, mile 33, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo de la Cultura Hñähñu y Centro Cultural del Valle del Mezquital (museum, mile 300, 0.1 mi from the route); Church of San Miguel Arcángel (convent, mile 300, 0.2 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.