The Wayro route from Cuanajo to Chipilo is 294 miles (473 km), about 5 h 0 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 294 mi (473 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 0 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-14 → MEX-126 → MEX-48D → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-150D |
| Mexican states on the route | Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-48D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.7 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.
What the drive from Cuanajo to Chipilo is like
MEX-M40D (140 mi) and MEX-15D (77 mi) carry about 74% of the 294 miles. MEX-48D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-14, MEX-126 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuanajo to Chipilo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Michoacán |
| MEX-14 | 4–29 | 25 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 29–30 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-126 | 30–34 | 4 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 34–35 | 1 | Michoacán |
| MEX-48D | 35–50 | 15 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 50–127 | 77 | Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 127–267 | 140 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 267–268 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 268–286 | 18 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 286–290 | 4 | Puebla |
| local roads | 290–294 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 109 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 159 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 190 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 204 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 221 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 233 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 240 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 263 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
Stops between Cuanajo and Chipilo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Regional Michoacano (mile 29), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce (mile 30), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 285)
- Nature and outdoors: Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón National Park (mile 37)
- Museums and history: Museo Regional Michoacano (mile 29), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce (mile 30), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 88), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 127), Tula (mile 172), Teotihuacan (mile 221), Cacaxtla (mile 273), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 285)
Museo Regional Michoacano
In the historic center of Morelia, the Museo Regional Michoacano is a long-running museum focused on the history of Michoacán.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce
Run by Michoacán's Secretariat of Culture, the Alfredo Zalce Museum of Contemporary Art in Morelia mainly shows contemporary visual art by Michoacán artists, plus some national names.
Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón National Park
Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón National Park protects about 72 square kilometers of mountain terrain in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in Michoacán.
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.
Tula
Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
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.
When you get to Chipilo
Convent Church of San Francisco, Puebla
The Convent Church of San Francisco is a historic church that you'll find in the city of Puebla, in the Mexican state of Puebla.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
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.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Cuernavaca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Actopan to Chipilo
From Cuanajo to other places in Mexico
- Cuanajo to Temacapulín
- Cuanajo to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Cuanajo to Real de Asientos
- Cuanajo to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
- Cuanajo to Mineral de Pozos
- Cuanajo to Bernal
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuanajo to Chipilo?
About 5 h 0 min of driving without stops, over 294 miles.
How far is Chipilo from Cuanajo by car?
About 294 miles (473 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 Cuanajo 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 Cuanajo to Chipilo?
The U.S. State Department rates Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; 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.
What roads does the drive from Cuanajo to Chipilo use?
In order: MEX-14, MEX-126, MEX-48D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuanajo and Chipilo?
Closest to the road: Museo Regional Michoacano (museum, mile 29, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce (art museum, mile 30, 0.4 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 285, 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 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.