The Wayro route from Celaya to Oaxtepec is 218 miles (351 km), about 3 h 41 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 218 mi (351 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 41 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → Periférico → MEX-95D → MEX-160D |
| Mexican states on the route | Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-95D, MEX-115D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.7 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 Celaya to Oaxtepec is like
MEX-57D (74 mi) and MEX-47D (52 mi) carry about 58% of the 218 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-57 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Celaya to Oaxtepec, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45 | 2–7 | 5 | Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 7–8 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 8–13 | 5 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-47D | 13–65 | 52 | Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 65–139 | 74 | Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-57 | 139–147 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| Periférico | 147–167 | 20 | State of Mexico, Mexico City |
| connecting roads | 167–168 | 1 | Mexico City |
| MEX-95D | 168–200 | 32 | Mexico City, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 200–201 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 201–216 | 15 | Morelos |
| local roads | 216–218 | 2 | Morelos |
- Mile 25 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 67 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 101 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 120 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 152 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 185 of this route: Mexico City → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Celaya and Oaxtepec
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 130), Mexico City Metro Museum (mile 157), Cuicuilco (mile 165), Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (mile 165)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 24), El Pensil Mexicano (mile 152), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 178)
- Museums and history: Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 130), Museo de Arte Moderno (mile 153), Mexico City Metro Museum (mile 157), Leon Trotsky House Museum (mile 157), Cuicuilco (mile 165), Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (mile 165)
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
Museo Nacional del Virreinato
Housed in the former Jesuit college of San Francisco Javier in Tepotzotlán, begun in 1606, this national museum covers three centuries of colonial art. Its Baroque church, built 1670-1682, keeps altarpieces designed by Miguel Cabrera and Higinio de Chávez.
El Pensil Mexicano
At 80 Lago Chiem street in Mexico City's Colonia Pensil, El Pensil Mexicano is a Baroque-style garden on a 3,000-square-meter lot, one of the last remnants of New Spain's pleasure gardens.
Museo de Arte Moderno
In Chapultepec Park, the Museo de Arte Moderno is part of Mexico's national fine arts institute (INBAL) and shows modern Mexican art along with exhibitions by Mexican and international artists.
Mexico City Metro Museum
Mexico City's Metro Museum (Museo del Metro) is located inside Mixcoac station on Line 12 of the city's subway system.
Leon Trotsky House Museum
In Coyoacán, the house museum honoring Leon Trotsky, officially the Instituto del Derecho de Asilo - Museo Casa de León Trotsky, also works to promote political asylum.
Cuicuilco
In Mexico City's Tlalpan borough, Cuicuilco preserves a pyramid whose construction began a few centuries BCE, during the Late Preclassic period, near the old southern shore of Lake Texcoco.
Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo
On the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC) has shown art made in the 21st century since opening in November 2008.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
When you get to Oaxtepec
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In Oaxtepec, the Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is among the first convents the Dominicans built in Mexico, and its walls preserve extensive fresco painting from the colonial era.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
More drives to Oaxtepec
- Malinalco to Oaxtepec
- Mexico City to Oaxtepec
- Metepec to Oaxtepec
- Toluca to Oaxtepec
- Otumba to Oaxtepec
- Taxco to Oaxtepec
From Celaya to other places in Mexico
- Celaya to Real de Asientos
- Celaya to Amatitán
- Celaya to Zacatecas
- Celaya to Tequila
- Celaya to Jerez, Zacatecas
- Celaya to Sombrerete
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Celaya to Oaxtepec?
About 3 h 41 min of driving without stops, over 218 miles.
How far is Oaxtepec from Celaya by car?
About 218 miles (351 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 Oaxtepec?
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 Oaxtepec?
The U.S. State Department rates 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; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Celaya to Oaxtepec use?
In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, Periférico, MEX-95D and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Celaya and Oaxtepec?
Closest to the road: Mexico City Metro Museum (museum, mile 157, 0.3 mi from the route); Cuicuilco (archaeological site, mile 165, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (museum, mile 165, 0.9 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.