Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo is 278 miles (447 km), about 4 h 45 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; 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 CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Querétaro is the Mexican state that contains Pedro Escobedo. See the full advisory for current details.
Museo Casa XalapaKaná, Museo de Ciencia y TecnologíaXalapa Museum of AnthropologyParque Nacional Cofre de PeroteCantonaMuseo de Sitio de CantonaParque nacional XicoténcatlAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTula National ParkCoatepecPedro Escobedo
Route from Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance278 mi (447 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 45 min
Main roads, in orderVER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 11.1 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.

What the drive from Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo is like

MEX-M40D (87 mi) and MEX-140D (66 mi) carry about 55% of the 278 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-136 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Veracruz
VER 71–65Veracruz
connecting roads6–82Veracruz
MEX-1408–135Veracruz
connecting roads13–141Veracruz
MEX-140D14–8066Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala
connecting roads80–811Tlaxcala
MEX-13681–13251Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D132–21987Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads219–2212Hidalgo
MEX-57D221–27756State of Mexico, Querétaro
local roads277–2781Querétaro
  • Mile 46 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 72 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 141 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 149 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 162 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 178 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 192 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 221 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 254 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)

Stops between Coatepec and Pedro Escobedo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Casa Xalapa (mile 7), Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (mile 7), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 11)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 37), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 107), Tula National Park (mile 209)
  • Museums and history: Museo Casa Xalapa (mile 7), Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (mile 7), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 11), Cantona (mile 53), Museo de Sitio de Cantona (mile 55)

Museo Casa Xalapa

Mile 7 · Museum · 0.8 mi from the route

Also called the Museo de la Ciudad, or MUXA, Museo Casa Xalapa traces the history of the Veracruz capital and state from pre-Hispanic times to today. It opened in 2007 and was renovated in 2016.

Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología

Mile 7 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología is a modern interactive science and technology museum in Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz, formerly known as the Museo Interactivo de Xalapa.

Xalapa Museum of Anthropology

Mile 11 · Archaeological museum · 0.8 mi from the route

Run by the Universidad Veracruzana in a building designed by Edward Durell Stone, the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology displays more than 1,500 pieces from Olmec, central Veracruz and Huastec cultures, including several Olmec colossal heads, amid subtropical gardens.

Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote

Mile 37 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.

Cantona

Mile 53 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.

Museo de Sitio de Cantona

Mile 55 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

At the Cantona archaeological zone in Tepeyahualco, this site museum shows finds from more than 20 years of digs: pottery, obsidian and stone tools, musical instruments, greenstone and shell ornaments, and burial remains.

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 107 · National Park of Mexico · 7 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 158 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Tula National Park

Mile 209 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

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.

More drives to Pedro Escobedo

From Coatepec to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo?

About 4 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 278 miles.

How far is Pedro Escobedo from Coatepec by car?

About 278 miles (447 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 Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo?

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 Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Coatepec to Pedro Escobedo use?

In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-136, MEX-M40D and MEX-57D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Coatepec and Pedro Escobedo?

Closest to the road: Museo Casa Xalapa (museum, mile 7, 0.8 mi from the route); Kaná, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología (museum, mile 7, 1 mi from the route); Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (archaeological museum, mile 11, 0.8 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.