The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Guanajuato is 265 miles (426 km), about 5 h 8 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 265 mi (426 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-110 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.6 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 Cuernavaca to Guanajuato is like
MEX-57 (70 mi) and MEX-47D (54 mi) carry about 47% of the 265 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-45, MEX-110 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Morelos, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuernavaca to Guanajuato, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–12 | 12 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 12–31 | 19 | Morelos, Mexico City |
| local roads | 31–35 | 4 | Mexico City |
| Periférico | 35–65 | 30 | Mexico City, State of Mexico |
| MEX-57 | 65–135 | 70 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 135–136 | 1 | Querétaro |
| MEX-47D | 136–190 | 54 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 190–240 | 50 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45 | 240–251 | 11 | Guanajuato |
| local roads | 251–257 | 6 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-110 | 257–264 | 7 | Guanajuato |
| local roads | 264–265 | 1 | Guanajuato |
- Mile 18 of this route: Morelos → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 51 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 83 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 103 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 135 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 177 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
Stops between Cuernavaca and Guanajuato
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Mexico City Metro Museum (mile 46), Museo Soumaya (mile 50), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 89)
- Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 172), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 178)
- Museums and history: San Bernardino de Siena Church, Xochimilco (mile 29), Mexico City Metro Museum (mile 46), Museo Soumaya (mile 50), Tlalnepantla Cathedral (mile 59), Cristo Rey (mile 60)
San Bernardino de Siena Church, Xochimilco
Xochimilco's parish church of San Bernardino de Siena and its former monastery were built in the 16th century over a pre-Hispanic temple.
Mexico City Metro Museum
Mexico City's Metro Museum (Museo del Metro) is located inside Mixcoac station on Line 12 of the city's subway system.
How Doth the Little Crocodile
How Doth the Little Crocodile is both a painting and an outdoor bronze sculpture by British-born Mexican artist Leonora Carrington, who first painted it in 1998.
Museo Soumaya
Museo Soumaya is a private, nonprofit art museum in Mexico City with two buildings, Plaza Loreto and Plaza Carso. Its collection spans pre-Hispanic sculpture, Mexican art and European masters such as Rodin, Dalí and Tintoretto.
Tlalnepantla Cathedral
Consecrated on August 23, 1964, Tlalnepantla's Corpus Christi Cathedral stands where Franciscans founded the Convent of San Francisco in 1525.
Cristo Rey
Begun in 1975 and inaugurated in 1981, this colossal Cristo Rey statue stands on Cerro Cola de Caballo in the Sierra de Guadalupe, within the Jardines del Recuerdo cemetery in Tlalnepantla.
Templo y exconvento de San Francisco
The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
El Cimatario National Park
El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
When you get to Guanajuato
Tucked into a narrow mountain valley in central Mexico, Guanajuato grew into the world's leading silver-extraction center in the 18th century. Its Baroque churches, tunnels and underground streets earned the Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines a place on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1988.
- Alhóndiga de Granaditas: Built from 1797 to 1809 as a granary and stormed by Miguel Hidalgo's insurgents in 1810, it has housed the Regional Museum of Guanajuato since 1958. source
- Underground streets: Drive or walk the subterranean roadways that run beneath the city, one of the features UNESCO singles out in its listing. source
- Historic mines: The old silver mines on the edge of town are part of the World Heritage property along with the historic center. source
Presa de la Olla
Presa de la Olla is a dam and hydraulic work built in the 18th century in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Cervantes Theater
Guanajuato's Cervantes Theater is a stone building in colonial style designed by José Martínez Cossio and inaugurated in 1979.
More drives to Guanajuato
- McAllen, TX to Guanajuato
- Brownsville, TX to Guanajuato
- Laredo, TX to Guanajuato
- South Padre Island, TX to Guanajuato
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Guanajuato
- Fresnillo to Guanajuato
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
Coming to Guanajuato from the United States? Border crossings, permits and routes from U.S. cities: Driving to Guanajuato, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Guanajuato?
About 5 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 265 miles.
How far is Guanajuato from Cuernavaca by car?
About 265 miles (426 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 Guanajuato?
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 Guanajuato?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cuernavaca to Guanajuato use?
In order: MEX-95D, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and MEX-110. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuernavaca and Guanajuato?
Closest to the road: Mexico City Metro Museum (museum, mile 46, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Soumaya (museum network, mile 50, 0.6 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 89, 0.6 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.