Cholula to Rioverde Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 12 October, 2026

Plan on about 7 h 22 min of driving for the 385-mile (619 km) trip from Cholula to Rioverde, before any stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; 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 Rioverde. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Convento de HuejotzingoParque nacional XicoténcatlAqueduct of Padre TemblequeAtlantean figuresHistoric Monuments Zone of QuerétaroCasa de la CorregidoraFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasEl Gogorrón National ParkEl Potosí National ParkCholulaRioverde
Route from Cholula to Rioverde with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance by road385 mi (619 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops7 h 22 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-150 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → SLP 22 → MEX-70
Mexican states on the routePuebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 15.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Cholula to Rioverde

MEX-M40D (106 mi) and MEX-57 (93 mi) carry about 52% of the 385 miles. It runs through 7 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-M40D and MEX-57D. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

Which roads connect Cholula and Rioverde

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Puebla
MEX-1501–98Puebla
local roads9–2112Puebla
MEX-M40D21–127106Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-57D127–21487Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-57214–30793Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
SLP 22307–31912San Luis Potosí
MEX-70319–38263San Luis Potosí
local roads382–3853San Luis Potosí
  • Mile 25 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 48 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 56 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 68 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 85 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 99 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 128 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 162 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 221 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 275 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)

Places worth a stop between Cholula and Rioverde

  • Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 25), El Gogorrón National Park (mile 301), El Potosí National Park (mile 358)
  • Museums and history: Casa de la Corregidora (mile 199), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 206)

Convento de Huejotzingo

Mile 9 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

Founded by Franciscans in the 16th century, the former convent of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo shows colonial Plateresque architecture on the western slopes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1994.

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 25 · National park · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 65 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

At Tepeyahualco, the tallest arcade of this 16th-century water system rises almost 40 meters. Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque built it between 1554 and 1572.

Atlantean figures

Mile 116 · Sculptures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.

Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro

Mile 198 · Old town · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.

Casa de la Corregidora

Mile 199 · Historic building · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Completed in 1770 as Querétaro's royal houses and town hall, the Casa de la Corregidora is where Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, held there in 1810, sent word of danger to Miguel Hidalgo. After independence it became the state government palace.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 206 · Historic estate · 3 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 301 · National park · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.

El Potosí National Park

Mile 358 · 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 Rioverde

From Cholula to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Cholula to Rioverde?

About 7 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 385 miles.

What is the driving distance from Cholula to Rioverde?

About 385 miles (619 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 Cholula to Rioverde?

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 Cholula to Rioverde?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; 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 Cholula to Rioverde use?

In order: MEX-150, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, SLP 22 and MEX-70. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Cholula and Rioverde?

Closest to the road: Convento de Huejotzingo (convent, mile 9, 1 mi from the route); Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 65, 2 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (sculptures, mile 116, 1 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.