By road, Ciudad Tula and Ixcateopan are about 450 miles (724 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 3 min of driving.
| Total distance | 450 mi (724 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-101 → SLP 80D → SLP 75D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Guerrero |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.0 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.
Driving Ciudad Tula to Ixcateopan: the shape of the trip
MEX-57 (97 mi) and MEX-57D (93 mi) carry about 42% of the 450 miles. It runs through 6 states: Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Guerrero. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-55D and MEX-92D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Ciudad Tula to Ixcateopan: the road sequence
| 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 | 219–270 | 51 | Querétaro |
| MEX-55 | 270–310 | 40 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 310–311 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 311–345 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 345–350 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 350–363 | 13 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 363–364 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 364–388 | 24 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 388–392 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 392–400 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 400–417 | 17 | State of Mexico, Guerrero |
| MEX-95 | 417–420 | 3 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 420–423 | 3 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 423–428 | 5 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 428–450 | 22 | Guerrero |
- 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 272 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 401 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 405 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 413 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Ciudad Tula and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 412), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 428), William Spratling Museum (mile 428)
- Nature and outdoors: Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 351), Nevado de Toluca National Park (mile 368), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 412)
- Museums and history: San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 112), Calixtlahuaca (mile 345), Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 351), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 428), William Spratling Museum (mile 428)
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
San Luis Potosí's cathedral anchors the city's historic center, which UNESCO lists as a component of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro World Heritage Site.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
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.
Calixtlahuaca
Spread over the slopes of Cerro Tenismó near Toluca, this site's standout is the round Temple of Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl, rebuilt in four phases. Nearby, a Mexica-era skull rack displays stone skulls set into cross-shaped walls.
Teatro Morelos
In Toluca's historic center, just west of the State of Mexico's Palace of Justice, Teatro Morelos stages plays along with other shows and cultural events.
Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México
Set in the Parque de los Matlatzincas on Cerro del Calvario, the Natural Sciences Museum of the State of Mexico explores biology, geology and the preservation of natural resources.
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.
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.
Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco
Silver baron José de la Borda paid for Santa Prisca with the bonanza from his San Ignacio mine in Taxco, and the church was dedicated in 1759, the same year his nearby house on the plaza was finished.
William Spratling Museum
Taxco's archaeological museum grew from the collection of William Spratling, the American who revived the town's silver craft in the 1930s. It shows pre-Hispanic pieces, including Olmec and Mezcala-style works, plus a gallery on silversmithing.
Once you reach Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
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 is the drive from Ciudad Tula to Ixcateopan?
About 9 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 450 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Ciudad Tula by car?
About 450 miles (724 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 Ixcateopan?
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 Ixcateopan?
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; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Ciudad Tula to Ixcateopan use?
In order: MEX-101, SLP 80D, SLP 75D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Ciudad Tula to Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (national park, mile 412, 0.2 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church, mile 428, 0.4 mi from the route); William Spratling Museum (museum, mile 428, 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.