Ciudad Tula to San Francisco is about 480 road miles (773 km): roughly 8 h 37 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Total distance | 480 mi (773 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-101 → SLP 80D → SLP 75D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-70 → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-70D → MEX-200D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 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.
The Ciudad Tula–San Francisco drive in a few lines
MEX-80D (128 mi) and MEX-15D (76 mi) carry about 42% of the 480 miles. It runs through 5 states: Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-80D and MEX-90D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Ciudad Tula to San Francisco: 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 | 79–100 | 21 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 100–116 | 16 | San Luis Potosí |
| local roads | 116–126 | 10 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 126–135 | 9 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-70 | 135–152 | 17 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-80 | 152–155 | 3 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-80D | 155–197 | 42 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-80 | 197–230 | 33 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 230–316 | 86 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 316–327 | 11 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 327–337 | 10 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 337–402 | 65 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| local roads | 402–436 | 34 | Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 436–454 | 18 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200D | 454–470 | 16 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200 | 470–480 | 10 | Nayarit |
- Mile 23 of this route: Tamaulipas → San Luis Potosí (state line)
- Mile 162 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 173 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 385 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
Where to stop on the way to San Francisco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (mile 206), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 207), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 396)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Walt Disney (mile 319), Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 465)
- Museums and history: Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San Luis Potosí (mile 118), Museo Regional Potosino (mile 118), Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (mile 206), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 207), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 235), Guadalajara Cathedral (mile 321), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 396)
Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San Luis Potosí
The Basilica Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic church on the Calzada de Guadalupe in the historic center of San Luis Potosí.
Museo Regional Potosino
Opened on November 20, 1952, the Museo Regional Potosino occupies part of the former Convent of San Francisco, built in 1586, in San Luis Potosí.
Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera
Lagos de Moreno, in the state of Jalisco, is home to the Museo Casa Agustín Rivera Altos de Jalisco, a local museum in town.
Teatro José Rosas Moreno
Named after Jalisco writer José Rosas Moreno, this theater in Lagos de Moreno took decades to finish: work started in 1867, and it opened on May 5, 1907.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos
Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.
Parque Walt Disney
Despite sharing a name with Walt Disney, this recreational space in Guadalajara's Colonia Olímpica has no direct theme tied to Disney's amusement parks.
Guadalajara Cathedral
In the Centro of Guadalajara, the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady is the seat of the Archdiocese of Guadalajara and a minor basilica.
Ixtlán del Rio
Between roughly 300 BC and AD 600, people made their home at Los Toriles in Ixtlán del Río. Today visitors come for its circular temple, a rare design in Mesoamerica.
Rincón de Guayabitos
Gentle waves are the draw at Rincón de Guayabitos, where roughly two kilometers of shoreline make this Compostela, Nayarit, beach town a favorite escape for people from Tepic and Guadalajara.
More drives to San Francisco
- La Manzanilla to San Francisco
- Barra de Navidad to San Francisco
- Tecomán to San Francisco
- San Juan de los Lagos to San Francisco
- Pénjamo to San Francisco
- León to San Francisco
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 San Francisco?
About 8 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 480 miles.
What is the driving distance from Ciudad Tula to San Francisco?
About 480 miles (773 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 San Francisco?
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 San Francisco?
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; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Ciudad Tula to San Francisco?
In order: MEX-101, SLP 80D, SLP 75D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-70, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-70D, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Ciudad Tula and San Francisco?
Closest to the road: Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (museum, mile 206, 0.4 mi from the route); Teatro José Rosas Moreno (opera house, mile 207, 0.3 mi from the route); Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 396, 0.5 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.