Every Wayro route we publish from U.S. cities to Saltillo, Coahuila, with the border crossing each one uses and what you need to bring a U.S. car across.
About Saltillo
Founded in 1577 as the Villa de Santiago del Saltillo, Coahuila's capital sits high on a plain backed by the Sierra de Zapalinamé. The city gave its name to the Saltillo sarape, and its cathedral, museums and nearby wineries such as Viñedos Zapa and Bodegas Capellanía make it an easy overnight stop on the way south.
- Catedral de Santiago: Begun in 1745, the cathedral blends Baroque and Churrigueresque styles and keeps about 45 colonial-era oil paintings inside. source
- Museo del Desierto: Opened in 1999, the museum explains Mexico's deserts with a T. rex, a hadrosaur and a Quetzalcoatlus, plus a live prairie dog colony. source
- Museo de las Aves de México: Its mounted birds represent about 75 percent of Mexico's bird species, displayed in a 19th-century building that was once a Jesuit school. source
- Museo del Sarape y Trajes Mexicanos: Here you can see how the city's famous sarapes are woven, along with traditional Mexican dress. source
Crossing into Mexico: what you need to drive to Saltillo
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Saltillo is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required for a U.S.-registered vehicle this far into Mexico |
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
Where drivers cross the border
Laredo
Laredo reaches Nuevo Laredo over several city-run bridges. Gateway to the Americas (Bridge I) handles pedestrians and cars and has SENTRI lanes, Juárez-Lincoln (Bridge II) takes cars and buses, and the World Trade Bridge is for commercial trucks. Used by 30 of the routes below.
Del Rio
The Del Rio International Bridge crosses the Rio Grande between Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila. It is a full-service crossing that handles pedestrians, passenger vehicles and buses as well as commercial trucks. Used by 5 of the routes below.
Hidalgo
The McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge, operated by the City of McAllen, links Hidalgo and McAllen with downtown Reynosa, Tamaulipas. It serves pedestrians, passenger vehicles and buses but not commercial cargo, which uses other Reynosa-area bridges. Used by 2 of the routes below.
Brownsville
Brownsville and Matamoros are linked by several crossings, including the B&M and Gateway International bridges, which serve pedestrians, cars and buses, and the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates, which also carries commercial trucks. Used by 1 of the routes below.
Drives to Saltillo from the U.S.
| From | Miles | Driving time | Border crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo, TX | 186 | 3 h 33 min | Laredo |
| McAllen, TX | 201 | 3 h 39 min | Hidalgo |
| Brownsville, TX | 249 | 4 h 25 min | Brownsville |
| South Padre Island, TX | 273 | 5 h 7 min | Hidalgo |
| Del Rio, TX | 309 | 6 h 33 min | Del Rio |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 327 | 6 h 15 min | Laredo |
| San Antonio, TX | 342 | 5 h 59 min | Laredo |
| Bandera, TX | 356 | 6 h 37 min | Laredo |
| Rockport, TX | 357 | 6 h 53 min | Laredo |
| Boerne, TX | 367 | 6 h 33 min | Laredo |
| New Braunfels, TX | 372 | 6 h 28 min | Laredo |
| Gruene, TX | 377 | 6 h 34 min | Laredo |
| Kerrville, TX | 382 | 7 h 9 min | Laredo |
| Comfort, TX | 383 | 6 h 46 min | Laredo |
| San Marcos, TX | 390 | 6 h 43 min | Laredo |
| Blanco, TX | 390 | 6 h 55 min | Laredo |
| Wimberley, TX | 403 | 7 h 4 min | Laredo |
| Johnson City, TX | 404 | 7 h 11 min | Laredo |
| Fredericksburg, TX | 406 | 7 h 15 min | Laredo |
| Lockhart, TX | 408 | 7 h 2 min | Laredo |
| Dripping Springs, TX | 417 | 7 h 26 min | Laredo |
| Austin, TX | 419 | 7 h 10 min | Laredo |
| Marble Falls, TX | 426 | 7 h 38 min | Laredo |
| Burnet, TX | 439 | 7 h 54 min | Laredo |
| Bastrop, TX | 440 | 7 h 37 min | Laredo |
| Smithville, TX | 441 | 7 h 39 min | Laredo |
| Llano, TX | 444 | 8 h 12 min | Laredo |
| Georgetown, TX | 447 | 7 h 36 min | Laredo |
| San Angelo, TX | 465 | 9 h 31 min | Del Rio |
| Marathon, TX | 482 | 9 h 46 min | Del Rio |
| Brenham, TX | 488 | 8 h 40 min | Laredo |
| Houston, TX | 500 | 9 h 29 min | Laredo |
| Navasota, TX | 513 | 9 h 13 min | Laredo |
| Alpine, TX | 513 | 10 h 18 min | Del Rio |
| College Station, TX | 517 | 9 h 6 min | Laredo |
| Waco, TX | 520 | 8 h 45 min | Laredo |
| Marfa, TX | 539 | 10 h 46 min | Del Rio |
| Galveston, TX | 542 | 10 h 14 min | Laredo |
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.