Plan on about 10 h 1 min of driving for the 552-mile (888 km) trip from Chihuahua to Montemorelos, before any stops.
What the State Department tells travelers on this route:
- Nuevo León: “Those traveling between the U.S. border and Monterrey on highways 85/85D, 54, and 40/40D should exercise caution and avoid travel after dark.”
- Nuevo León: “Armed robberies and carjackings have occurred along these highways even during daylight hours.”
| Distance | 552 mi (888 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-45 → MEX-45D → CHIH 187 → MEX-49D → MEX-49 → MEX-40D → MEX-40 → MEX-85 → NL 85 |
| Mexican states on the route | Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-45D, MEX-49D, MEX-40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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.
How the Chihuahua to Montemorelos drive plays out
MEX-40D (146 mi) and MEX-49D (119 mi) carry about 48% of the 552 miles. It runs through 4 states: Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-45D, MEX-49D and MEX-40D. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Chihuahua to Montemorelos: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-45 | 4–57 | 53 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-45D | 57–92 | 35 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 92–93 | 1 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 187 | 93–96 | 3 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 96–97 | 1 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-45D | 97–142 | 45 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 142–144 | 2 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-49D | 144–263 | 119 | Chihuahua, Durango |
| MEX-49 | 263–281 | 18 | Durango |
| MEX-40D | 281–329 | 48 | Durango, Coahuila |
| MEX-40 | 329–384 | 55 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40D | 384–432 | 48 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40 | 432–447 | 15 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40D | 447–497 | 50 | Coahuila, Nuevo León |
| MEX-40 | 497–500 | 3 | Nuevo León |
| connecting roads | 500–504 | 4 | Nuevo León |
| MEX-85 | 504–548 | 44 | Nuevo León |
| NL 85 | 548–551 | 3 | Nuevo León |
| local roads | 551–552 | 1 | Nuevo León |
- Mile 191 of this route: Chihuahua → Durango (state line)
- Mile 293 of this route: Durango → Coahuila (state line)
- Mile 473 of this route: Coahuila → Nuevo León (state line)
Stops between Chihuahua and Montemorelos
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Paleontología de Delicias (mile 54), Monterrey Cathedral (mile 503), Museo de Historia Mexicana (mile 503)
- Nature and outdoors: Cola de Caballo (mile 525), Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (mile 535)
- Museums and history: Museo de Paleontología de Delicias (mile 54), Museo del Desierto Chihuahuense (mile 55), Monterrey Cathedral (mile 503), Museo de Historia Mexicana (mile 503)
Museo de Paleontología de Delicias
Founded with INAH support in 1982, the Museo de Paleontología de Delicias displays seven dinosaur skeletons, a mammoth, and a gray whale, plus fossil snails, fish, and plants.
Museo del Desierto Chihuahuense
Opened in 2010 in Delicias, the Museo del Desierto Chihuahuense (Mudech) has four permanent halls on the geology, plants, and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert, including Velafrons coahuilensis.
Cerro La Mota
Protected by Nuevo León state since 2000, Cerro La Mota, also known as Sierra Nacataz, covers about 9,400 hectares of mountains in García and Santa Catarina, ringed by other protected ranges.
Monterrey Cathedral
Built over more than a century and finished with a baroque facade in 1800, Monterrey's cathedral faces the downtown Plaza de Armas. Its bell tower went up in the 1890s, and a 1940s mural by Ángel Zárraga decorates the apse.
Museo de Historia Mexicana
In Monterrey, the Museo de Historia Mexicana is a cultural center that forms a three-museum complex with the Museo del Palacio and the Museo del Noreste.
Cola de Caballo
In the Sierra Madre Oriental outside Santiago, this 27-meter waterfall takes its name from the way its stream spills like a horse's tail. A walking path leads visitors to the falls.
Cumbres de Monterrey National Park
Spanning the northern Sierra Madre Oriental in Nuevo León and Coahuila near Monterrey, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park protects more than 1,770 square kilometers of rugged terrain with deep canyons, rivers, waterfalls and mountain peaks, including Cerro de la Silla.
More drives to Montemorelos
- Ciudad Valles to Montemorelos
- Fresnillo to Montemorelos
- Zacatecas to Montemorelos
- Tuxpan, Veracruz to Montemorelos
- Lagos de Moreno to Montemorelos
- San Miguel de Allende to Montemorelos
From Chihuahua to other places in Mexico
- Chihuahua to Álamos
- Chihuahua to Durango
- Chihuahua to Arteaga
- Chihuahua to El Salto, Durango
- Chihuahua to Sombrerete
- Chihuahua to Bahía de Kino
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Chihuahua to Montemorelos?
About 10 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 552 miles.
How far is Montemorelos from Chihuahua by car?
About 552 miles (888 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 Chihuahua to Montemorelos?
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 Chihuahua to Montemorelos?
The U.S. State Department rates Chihuahua Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Durango Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Coahuila Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nuevo León Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chihuahua to Montemorelos use?
In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, CHIH 187, MEX-49D, MEX-49, MEX-40D, MEX-40, MEX-85 and NL 85. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Chihuahua and Montemorelos?
Closest to the road: Museo de Paleontología de Delicias (museum, mile 54, 1 mi from the route); Monterrey Cathedral (cathedral, mile 503, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo de Historia Mexicana (museum, mile 503, 0.7 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.