Celaya to Ciudad Valles Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 12 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Celaya to Ciudad Valles is 291 miles (468 km), about 6 h 20 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; San Luis Potosí — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. San Luis Potosí is the Mexican state that contains Ciudad Valles. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
El CerritoClaustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio ConinFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasEl Gogorrón National ParkEl Potosí National ParkCelayaCiudad Valles
Route from Celaya to Ciudad Valles with the 5 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance by road291 mi (468 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops6 h 20 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-57 → SLP 22 → MEX-70 → MEX-70D
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-45D, MEX-70D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 11.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below5

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.

On the road from Celaya to Ciudad Valles

MEX-57 (110 mi) and MEX-70 (95 mi) carry about 70% of the 291 miles. It runs through 3 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-45D and MEX-70D. Of the 5 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

Roads you'll take from Celaya to Ciudad Valles

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Guanajuato
MEX-452–75Guanajuato
connecting roads7–81Guanajuato
MEX-45D8–2820Guanajuato, Querétaro
connecting roads28–291Querétaro
MEX-5729–139110Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
SLP 22139–15011San Luis Potosí
MEX-70150–23989San Luis Potosí
MEX-70D239–28344San Luis Potosí
connecting roads283–2841San Luis Potosí
MEX-70284–2906San Luis Potosí
local roads290–2911San Luis Potosí
  • Mile 22 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 53 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 107 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)

Breaking up the drive: stops between Celaya and Ciudad Valles

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (mile 29)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 133), El Potosí National Park (mile 188)
  • Museums and history: El Cerrito (mile 25), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 41)

El Cerrito

Mile 25 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Just outside Querétaro city in Corregidora, El Cerrito is an INAH archaeological zone centered on a pyramid close to 100 feet high, later topped by a 19th-century fort, with a small site museum on the grounds.

Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin

Mile 29 · Convent · 0.9 mi from the route

The Cloister of San Felipe Neri in central Querétaro was part of the Oratorian convent and stands beside the Templo de San Felipe Neri, now the city's cathedral.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 41 · Historic estate · 7 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 133 · National park · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Decreed a national park in 1936, Gogorrón in San Luis Potosí mixes desert scrub and grassland with pine-oak forest on its heights, and hot-spring balnearios lie within its bounds.

El Potosí National Park

Mile 188 · National park · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Potosí National Park is a protected area in the state of San Luis Potosí, covering about 20 square kilometers.

More drives to Ciudad Valles

From Celaya to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Celaya to Ciudad Valles?

About 6 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 291 miles.

What is the driving distance from Celaya to Ciudad Valles?

About 291 miles (468 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 Celaya to Ciudad Valles?

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 Celaya to Ciudad Valles?

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

What roads does the drive from Celaya to Ciudad Valles use?

In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-57, SLP 22, MEX-70 and MEX-70D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Celaya to Ciudad Valles?

Closest to the road: El Cerrito (archaeological site, mile 25, 2 mi from the route); Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (convent, mile 29, 0.9 mi from the route); Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (historic estate, mile 41, 7 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.