The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Chipilo is 97 miles (156 km), about 1 h 45 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 97 mi (156 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 1 h 45 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 3.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Cuernavaca to Chipilo is like
PUE 438D (34 mi) and MEX-160D (21 mi) carry about 57% of the 97 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-160 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 2 states: Morelos, Puebla. None of the 8 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Cuernavaca to Chipilo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 4–9 | 5 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 9–30 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 30–47 | 17 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 47–81 | 34 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 81–93 | 12 | Puebla |
| local roads | 93–97 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 55 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
Stops between Cuernavaca and Chipilo
- Nature and outdoors: El Tepozteco National Park (mile 14)
- Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 14), Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos" (mile 32), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 45), Chalcatzingo (mile 47)
El Tepozteco
High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.
El Tepozteco National Park
Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos"
In this 18th-century house in Cuautla, José María Morelos lived during the 1812 Siege of Cuautla. Its INAH galleries trace regional history through Morelos and Emiliano Zapata and display "El Niño," his first cannon, a gift from the Galeana family.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
When you get to Chipilo
Fort Guadalupe
Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.
Convent Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Puebla
An early 17th-century example of Puebla Baroque, the Church of the Virgin of Carmen has two richly decorated chapels and a neoclassical altarpiece holding an image of the Virgin by sculptor José Antonio Villegas Cora.
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.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Actopan to Chipilo
- Metepec to Chipilo
From Cuernavaca to other places in Mexico
- Cuernavaca to Valle de Bravo
- Cuernavaca to Zitácuaro
- Cuernavaca to El Oro
- Cuernavaca to Tlalpujahua
- Cuernavaca to San Juan del Río
- Cuernavaca to Amealco
Continue Your Adventure
- Cuernavaca to Calvillo Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time
- Cuernavaca to Zacatecas Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops
- Cuernavaca to Huejotzingo Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops
- Cuernavaca to Salvatierra Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time
- Cuernavaca to Tequisquiapan Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Chipilo?
About 1 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 97 miles.
How far is Chipilo from Cuernavaca by car?
About 97 miles (156 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 Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca to Chipilo?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cuernavaca to Chipilo use?
In order: MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-160, PUE 438D and MEX-190D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuernavaca and Chipilo?
Closest to the road: El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); El Tepozteco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 47, 2 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.