The Wayro route from Chilpancingo to Papantla is 345 miles (555 km), about 6 h 12 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 345 mi (555 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → MEX-94D → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-140D → MEX-129D → MEX-129 → MEX-180D → MEX-180 |
| Mexican states on the route | Guerrero (Level 4), Morelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-94D, MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-140D, MEX-129D, MEX-180D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.8 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 Papantla is like
MEX-95D (81 mi) and MEX-129 (43 mi) carry about 36% of the 345 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-94D, MEX-190D, MEX-140D, MEX-129D, MEX-180D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-129, MEX-180 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Chilpancingo to Papantla, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Guerrero |
| MEX-95D | 4–85 | 81 | Guerrero, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 85–123 | 38 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 123–158 | 35 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 158–168 | 10 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 168–183 | 15 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 183–185 | 2 | Puebla |
| local roads | 185–211 | 26 | Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 211–224 | 13 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| MEX-129D | 224–263 | 39 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 263–265 | 2 | Puebla |
| MEX-129 | 265–308 | 43 | Puebla, Veracruz |
| MEX-180D | 308–338 | 30 | Veracruz |
| MEX-180 | 338–345 | 7 | Veracruz |
- Mile 83 of this route: Guerrero → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 132 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 196 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 204 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 210 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 219 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 272 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Stops between Chilpancingo and Papantla
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cuetlajuchitlán (mile 57), Teziutlán Cathedral (mile 265)
- Nature and outdoors: Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 175), La Malinche National Park (mile 194)
- Museums and history: Cuetlajuchitlán (mile 57), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 122), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 168), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 178), Teziutlán Cathedral (mile 265)
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.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
International Museum of the Baroque
Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.
Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
On the Ciudad Universitaria campus of BUAP in Puebla, the university botanical garden covers about 10.7 hectares and was formerly named after Ignacio Rodríguez Alconedo.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
La Malinche National Park
Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.
Teziutlán Cathedral
The Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción) is a Catholic church located in the city of Teziutlán, Mexico.
When you get to Papantla
Pirámide de los Nichos
The Pyramid of the Niches (Pirámide de los Nichos) stands in the El Tajín archaeological zone in northern Veracruz. Its seven stepped platforms rise to a summit reached by a north-side stairway edged with stepped-fret decoration.
Museo de Sitio de El Tajín
The Museo de Sitio de El Tajín is the museum complex inside the El Tajín archaeological zone in Veracruz, which UNESCO has recognized as cultural heritage since 1992.
El Tajín
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, El Tajín peaked from the early 9th to the early 13th century. Look for the Pyramid of the Niches, elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes, and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.
More drives to Papantla
- Cholula to Papantla
- Mexico City to Papantla
- Toluca to Papantla
- Cuernavaca to Papantla
- Cuautla to Papantla
- San Juan del Río to Papantla
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
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Chilpancingo to Papantla?
About 6 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 345 miles.
How far is Papantla from Chilpancingo by car?
About 345 miles (555 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 Papantla?
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 Papantla?
The U.S. State Department rates Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Chilpancingo to Papantla use?
In order: MEX-95D, MEX-94D, PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-140D, MEX-129D, MEX-129, MEX-180D and MEX-180. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Chilpancingo and Papantla?
Closest to the road: Cuetlajuchitlán (archaeological site, mile 57, 0.0 mi from the route); Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 122, 1 mi from the route); Teziutlán Cathedral (cathedral, mile 265, 0.4 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.