Comala to Pinos Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Comala to Pinos is 318 miles (511 km), about 5 h 49 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Colima — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Pinos. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Volcán Nevado de Colima National ParkCiudad Guzmán CathedralMuseo Arqueológico de Ciudad GuzmánEl IxtépeteGuadalajara CathedralCasa Museo López PortilloTeocaltitan Archaeological SiteTeatro José Rosas MorenoMuseo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín RiveraComalaPinos
Route from Comala to Pinos with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance318 mi (511 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 49 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-54 → MEX-54D → MEX-15 → MEX-15D → MEX-80D → MEX-80 → MEX-51 → ZAC 144
Mexican states on the routeColima (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-54D, MEX-15D, MEX-80D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.7 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 Comala to Pinos is like

MEX-80D (101 mi) and MEX-54D (92 mi) carry about 61% of the 318 miles. MEX-54D, MEX-15D, MEX-80D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-54, MEX-15, MEX-80, MEX-51 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Colima, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Zacatecas. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Comala to Pinos, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–77Colima
MEX-547–114Colima
MEX-54D11–10392Colima, Jalisco
MEX-15103–11916Jalisco
local roads119–1245Jalisco
MEX-15D124–14016Jalisco
connecting roads140–1433Jalisco
MEX-80D143–21572Jalisco
MEX-80215–24833Jalisco
MEX-80D248–27729Jalisco, Guanajuato
MEX-51277–2869Guanajuato, Jalisco
connecting roads286–2882Jalisco
ZAC 144288–31628Jalisco, Zacatecas
local roads316–3182Zacatecas
  • Mile 21 of this route: Colima → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 273 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 281 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 289 of this route: Jalisco → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Comala and Pinos

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 238), Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (mile 238)
  • Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 25)
  • Museums and history: Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 48), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 48), El Ixtépete (mile 119), Guadalajara Cathedral (mile 124), Casa Museo López Portillo (mile 124), Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 203), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 238), Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (mile 238)

Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park

Mile 25 · National Park of Mexico · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This national park in western Mexico protects the upper slopes of two volcanic peaks, Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima, in the states of Jalisco and Colima.

Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral

Mile 48 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.

Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán

Mile 48 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in the 1950s with writer Juan José Arreola among its promoters, this INAH museum in Ciudad Guzmán shows stone and ceramic pieces from western Mexico, colonial-era religious art and sketches by muralist José Clemente Orozco.

El Ixtépete

Mile 119 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Zapopan's El Ixtépete preserves a pyramid built around AD 650-750, during the Grillo tradition, with at least seven superimposed construction phases; the site lies within the Guadalajara metro area near the Periférico and Avenida Mariano Otero.

Guadalajara Cathedral

Mile 124 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Casa Museo López Portillo

Mile 124 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Opened on May 10, 1982, this house museum in Guadalajara's historic center showcases decorative arts and promotes work by young artists from the metro area.

Teocaltitan Archaeological Site

Mile 203 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Near Jalostotitlán in the Los Altos region, the Teocaltitán site holds pyramids, sunken patios and a ball court spread across about nine hectares, built by a people who dominated much of the area from AD 400 to 900.

Teatro José Rosas Moreno

Mile 238 · Opera house · 0.4 mi from the route

Construction of the Teatro José Rosas Moreno in Lagos de Moreno began in 1867, and the theater opened on May 5, 1907. It is named for Jalisco writer José Rosas Moreno.

Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera

Mile 238 · Museum · 0.5 mi from the route

The Museo Casa Agustín Rivera Altos de Jalisco is a museum you'll find in the town of Lagos de Moreno, in the state of Jalisco.

More drives to Pinos

From Comala to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Comala to Pinos?

About 5 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 318 miles.

How far is Pinos from Comala by car?

About 318 miles (511 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 Comala to Pinos?

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 Comala to Pinos?

The U.S. State Department rates Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Comala to Pinos use?

In order: MEX-54, MEX-54D, MEX-15, MEX-15D, MEX-80D, MEX-80, MEX-51 and ZAC 144. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Comala and Pinos?

Closest to the road: El Ixtépete (archaeological site, mile 119, 1 mi from the route); Teatro José Rosas Moreno (opera house, mile 238, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (museum, mile 238, 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 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.