Ezequiel Montes to Pinos Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Ezequiel Montes to Pinos is 220 miles (354 km), about 4 h 48 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; San Luis Potosí — 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 Pinos. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
El Cimatario National ParkHistoric Monuments Zone of QuerétaroCasa de la CorregidoraCerro de las CampanasFormer hacienda of ChichimequillasEl Gogorrón National ParkCineteca AlamedaEzequiel MontesPinos
Route from Ezequiel Montes to Pinos with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance220 mi (354 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 48 min
Main roads, in orderQRO 5 → QRO 4 → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → MEX-49 → ZAC 291
Mexican states on the routeQuerétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), San Luis Potosí (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 8.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

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 Ezequiel Montes to Pinos is like

MEX-57 (108 mi) and MEX-49 (43 mi) carry about 69% of the 220 miles. MEX-57D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-49 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas. None of the 7 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Ezequiel Montes to Pinos, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
QRO 50–77Querétaro
QRO 47–2518Querétaro
connecting roads25–261Querétaro
MEX-57D26–4923Querétaro
MEX-5749–157108Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí
connecting roads157–1603San Luis Potosí
MEX-49160–20343San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas
connecting roads203–2041Zacatecas
ZAC 291204–21814Zacatecas
local roads218–2202Zacatecas
  • Mile 57 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 110 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
  • Mile 191 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Ezequiel Montes and Pinos

  • Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 29), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 37), El Gogorrón National Park (mile 136)
  • Museums and history: Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 42)

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 29 · National Park of Mexico · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro

Mile 32 · Old town · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.

Casa de la Corregidora

Mile 34 · Building · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Completed in 1770 as Querétaro's royal houses and town hall, the Casa de la Corregidora is where Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, held there in 1810, sent word of danger to Miguel Hidalgo. After independence it became the state government palace.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 37 · National Park of Mexico · 9 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.

Former hacienda of Chichimequillas

Mile 42 · Historic site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.

El Gogorrón National Park

Mile 136 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.

Cineteca Alameda

Mile 158 · Cinematheque · 1 mi from the route

San Luis Potosí's Cineteca Alameda screens Mexican and international films in the 1940s Teatro Alameda building facing the Alameda Juan Sarabia, and also hosts concerts.

More drives to Pinos

From Ezequiel Montes to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Ezequiel Montes to Pinos?

About 4 h 48 min of driving without stops, over 220 miles.

How far is Pinos from Ezequiel Montes by car?

About 220 miles (354 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 Ezequiel Montes to Pinos?

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 Ezequiel Montes to Pinos?

The U.S. State Department rates Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; San Luis Potosí 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 Ezequiel Montes to Pinos use?

In order: QRO 5, QRO 4, MEX-57D, MEX-57, MEX-49 and ZAC 291. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Ezequiel Montes and Pinos?

Closest to the road: Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro (old town, mile 32, 7 mi from the route); Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (historic site, mile 42, 3 mi from the route); Cineteca Alameda (cinematheque, mile 158, 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.