The Wayro route from Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio is 356 miles (573 km), about 6 h 20 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 356 mi (573 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → MEX-95 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D |
| Mexican states on the route | Guerrero (Level 4), Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.2 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 Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio is like
MEX-15D (89 mi) and MEX-95D (83 mi) carry about 48% of the 356 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-95, MEX-55 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Guerrero, Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Guerrero |
| MEX-95D | 4–87 | 83 | Guerrero, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 87–89 | 2 | Morelos |
| local roads | 89–97 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 97–112 | 15 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| MEX-55 | 112–135 | 23 | Guerrero, Morelos, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 135–140 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 140–164 | 24 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 164–167 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 167–177 | 10 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 177–188 | 11 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 188–217 | 29 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 217–220 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 220–221 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 221–310 | 89 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 310–311 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 311–348 | 37 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 348–353 | 5 | Michoacán |
| local roads | 353–356 | 3 | Michoacán |
- Mile 83 of this route: Guerrero → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 110 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 114 of this route: Guerrero → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 117 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 126 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 129 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 238 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
Stops between Chilpancingo and Ihuatzio
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cuetlajuchitlán (mile 57), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 117), José María Morelos y Pavón University History Museum (mile 178), Museo Galería de Arte Mexiquense Torres Bicentenario (mile 178)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 117), Desierto del Carmen National Park (mile 145), Nevado de Toluca National Park (mile 160), Rayón National Park (mile 241)
- Museums and history: Cuetlajuchitlán (mile 57), Xochicalco (mile 97), José María Morelos y Pavón University History Museum (mile 178), Museo Galería de Arte Mexiquense Torres Bicentenario (mile 178)
Cuetlajuchitlán
Discovered in 1991 while the Autopista del Sol was being built, Cuetlajuchitlán (Los Querende) preserves plazas, ritual baths, sunken courtyards and pink stone walls with drainage channels from a settlement that peaked between 200 BC and AD 200.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
Desierto del Carmen National Park
Declared a national park on October 10, 1942, Desierto del Carmen is a protected area in the municipality of Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico.
Nevado de Toluca National Park
The Nevado de Toluca volcano was declared a flora and fauna protection area in 2013, a protected zone spanning ten municipalities of the State of Mexico, including Toluca, Zinacantepec and Temascaltepec.
José María Morelos y Pavón University History Museum
The Museo de Historia Universitaria José María Morelos y Pavón is a history museum located in the city of Toluca de Lerdo.
Museo Galería de Arte Mexiquense Torres Bicentenario
Set in Toluca's Torres Bicentenario complex, built to celebrate Mexican independence, this gallery shows paintings, prints and sculpture by artists from the State of Mexico, and many works are for sale.
Rayón National Park
Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.
Historic Centre of Morelia
Morelia's old core, founded in the 16th century as Valladolid, keeps more than 200 historic buildings in the region's pink stone around its cathedral and checkerboard streets. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1991.
When you get to Ihuatzio
Lake Pátzcuaro
Boats leave the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro for its islands, including Janitzio, topped by a statue of José María Morelos. Purépecha fishers here are known for butterfly-shaped nets, and whitefish is the local specialty.
Tzintzuntzan
Once the political and economic capital of the Purépecha empire, governed by a hereditary line of uacúsecha, or 'eagle lords,' Tzintzuntzan preserves its yácatas, temple bases that combine rectangular and semicircular platforms around ritual plazas.
Ihuatzio
On the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro, Ihuatzio was one of three main Purépecha power centers. Visitors can see raised walkways and two semicircular pyramids called yácatas; excavations here also turned up Chac Mool and coyote sculptures carved from volcanic rock.
More drives to Ihuatzio
- Amatitán to Ihuatzio
- Tequila to Ihuatzio
- Pabellón de Hidalgo to Ihuatzio
- Calvillo to Ihuatzio
- Real de Asientos to Ihuatzio
- Zacatecas to Ihuatzio
From Chilpancingo to other places in Mexico
- Chilpancingo to Oaxtepec
- Chilpancingo to Malinalco
- Chilpancingo to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Chilpancingo to Tlayacapan
- Chilpancingo to Tepoztlán
- Chilpancingo to Ocuituco
Continue Your Adventure
- Chilpancingo to Tequisquiapan Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety
- Chilpancingo to Valle de Bravo Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops
- Chilpancingo to Huasca de Ocampo Road Trip: Route & Stops
- Chilpancingo to Jilotepec Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops
- Chilpancingo to Tlaxco Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio?
About 6 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 356 miles.
How far is Ihuatzio from Chilpancingo by car?
About 356 miles (573 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 Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio?
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 Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio?
The U.S. State Department rates Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chilpancingo to Ihuatzio use?
In order: MEX-95D, MEX-95, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-15D and MEX-37D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Chilpancingo and Ihuatzio?
Closest to the road: Cuetlajuchitlán (archaeological site, mile 57, 0.0 mi from the route); Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 117, 0.1 mi from the route); José María Morelos y Pavón University History Museum (history museum, mile 178, 0.8 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.