Plan on about 7 h 51 min of driving for the 439-mile (707 km) trip from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo, before any stops.
| Distance | 439 mi (707 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 51 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-101 → SLP 80D → SLP 75D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-M40D → MEX-150D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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.
On the road from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo
MEX-57D (129 mi) and MEX-M40D (106 mi) carry about 54% of the 439 miles. It runs through 8 states: Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-150D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Tamaulipas |
| MEX-101 | 2–25 | 23 | Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí |
| SLP 80D | 25–57 | 32 | San Luis Potosí |
| SLP 75D | 57–77 | 20 | San Luis Potosí |
| connecting roads | 77–79 | 2 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 79–121 | 42 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 121–218 | 97 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 218–219 | 1 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 219–306 | 87 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 306–307 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 307–413 | 106 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 413–432 | 19 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 432–435 | 3 | Puebla |
| local roads | 435–439 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 23 of this route: Tamaulipas → San Luis Potosí (state line)
- Mile 158 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 212 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 273 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 306 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 335 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 349 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 366 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 378 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 386 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 409 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
What to see on the way from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tula National Park (mile 318), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 431)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 132), Tula National Park (mile 318)
- Museums and history: San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 112), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 226), Cacaxtla (mile 418), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 431)
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
A parish church from 1609 once stood where San Luis Potosí's cathedral rose between 1701 and 1728. Today the Baroque building serves as the seat of the archdiocese.
El Gogorrón National Park
Decreed a national park in 1936, Gogorrón in San Luis Potosí mixes desert scrub and grassland with pine-oak forest on its heights, and hot-spring balnearios lie within its bounds.
Former hacienda of Chichimequillas
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.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Baroque churches and mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries line the streets of Querétaro's historic center, along with the city's landmark aqueduct.
Tula National Park
This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
Running more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba, Padre Tembleque's 16th-century water system has been on UNESCO's list since 2015. The friar built it from 1554 to 1572.
Cacaxtla
Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.
La Constancia Mexicana
A textile factory founded in 1835 in Puebla now houses the La Constancia museum complex, with a children's museum, a puppet house, a Mexican music museum, an automobile museum and a park of miniature world monuments.
In Chipilo itself
Convent Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Puebla
An early 17th-century example of Puebla Baroque, the Church of the Virgin of Carmen has two richly decorated chapels and a neoclassical altarpiece holding an image of the Virgin by sculptor José Antonio Villegas Cora.
Museo Amparo
Opened in 1991 in Puebla's historic center, Museo Amparo was sponsored by the Amparo Foundation, created in 1979 by Manuel Espinosa Yglesias in honor of his wife.
Puebla Cathedral
Consecrated in 1649, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Archdiocese of Puebla and one of the key buildings in the city's UNESCO-listed historic center.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Cuernavaca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Actopan to Chipilo
From Ciudad Tula to other places in Mexico
- Ciudad Tula to Mineral de Pozos
- Ciudad Tula to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Ciudad Tula to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Ciudad Tula to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Ciudad Tula to Temacapulín
- Ciudad Tula to Angangueo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo?
About 7 h 51 min of driving without stops, over 439 miles.
What is the driving distance from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo?
About 439 miles (707 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 Ciudad Tula to Chipilo?
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 Ciudad Tula to Chipilo?
The U.S. State Department rates Tamaulipas Level 4: Do Not Travel; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Ciudad Tula to Chipilo?
In order: MEX-101, SLP 80D, SLP 75D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-M40D and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Ciudad Tula and Chipilo?
Closest to the road: Tula National Park (national park, mile 318, 1 mi from the route); Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 369, 2 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 431, 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 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.