Cuernavaca to Jalpa Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Jalpa is 405 miles (652 km), about 7 h 43 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: 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; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Jalpa. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Frida Kahlo MuseumJardín Edith Sánchez RamírezMuseo Nacional de San CarlosTula National ParkCerro de las CampanasCelaya CathedralJosé Guadalupe Posada MuseumLa Santa CruzCuernavacaJalpa
Route from Cuernavaca to Jalpa with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance405 mi (652 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 43 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-95D → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-70
Mexican states on the routeMorelos (Level 3), Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-95D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Cuernavaca to Jalpa is like

MEX-45D (141 mi) and MEX-57 (70 mi) carry about 52% of the 405 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-45, MEX-70 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Morelos, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Cuernavaca to Jalpa, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–1212Morelos
MEX-95D12–3119Morelos, Mexico City
local roads31–354Mexico City
Periférico35–6530Mexico City, State of Mexico
MEX-5765–13570State of Mexico, Hidalgo
connecting roads135–1361Querétaro
MEX-47D136–19054Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D190–331141Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-45331–34716Jalisco, Aguascalientes
local roads347–3547Aguascalientes
MEX-70354–40551Aguascalientes, Zacatecas
  • 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)
  • Mile 286 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 334 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 388 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Cuernavaca and Jalpa

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): La Santa Cruz (mile 381)
  • Nature and outdoors: Jardín Edith Sánchez Ramírez (mile 48), Tula National Park (mile 98), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 178)
  • Museums and history: Frida Kahlo Museum (mile 45), Museo Nacional de San Carlos (mile 49), Celaya Cathedral (mile 201), José Guadalupe Posada Museum (mile 347), La Santa Cruz (mile 381)

Frida Kahlo Museum

Mile 45 · Art museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Known as the Blue House for its cobalt-blue walls, the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacán is a historic house and art museum devoted to the life and work of the painter.

Jardín Edith Sánchez Ramírez

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

Covering 584 square meters in Colonia Roma, this pocket park fills the triangle formed by Yucatán, San Luis Potosí and Tonalá streets.

Museo Nacional de San Carlos

Mile 49 · National museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Mexico City's Museo Nacional de San Carlos, in the Cuauhtémoc borough, is a national art museum devoted to European art.

Tula National Park

Mile 98 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 178 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 201 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

José Guadalupe Posada Museum

Mile 347 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Aguascalientes is the birthplace of printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, and this museum shows the original signed printing plates he used to create his graphic images.

La Santa Cruz

Mile 381 · Museum · 0.1 mi from the route

In Calvillo's town center, La Santa Cruz is a cultural and monumental complex with Catholic and historical themes devoted to Calvillo's role in the Cristero War of 1926; it opened in 2021.

When you get to Jalpa

Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes

Museum · in Jalpa

The Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes is a community museum in the municipality of Jalpa, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, named for teacher Arturo Reyes Viramontes.

More drives to Jalpa

From Cuernavaca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Jalpa?

About 7 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 405 miles.

How far is Jalpa from Cuernavaca by car?

About 405 miles (652 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 Jalpa?

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 Jalpa?

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; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Cuernavaca to Jalpa use?

In order: MEX-95D, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and MEX-70. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Cuernavaca and Jalpa?

Closest to the road: Frida Kahlo Museum (art museum, mile 45, 2 mi from the route); Jardín Edith Sánchez Ramírez (park, mile 48, 2 mi from the route); La Santa Cruz (museum, mile 381, 0.1 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.