Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas is 482 miles (775 km), about 8 h 39 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Morelos is the Mexican state that contains Zacualpan de Amilpas. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Guadalupe regional museumMuseo Espacio, AguascalientesHistoric centre of AguascalientesCelaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasTemplo y exconvento de San FranciscoEl Tepeyac National ParkHistoric center of Mexico CityIztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National ParkFresnilloZacualpan de Amilpas
Route from Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance482 mi (775 km)
Driving time, no stops8 h 39 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115
Mexican states on the routeZacatecas (Level 4), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 19.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas is like

MEX-45D (192 mi) and MEX-45 (71 mi) carry about 55% of the 482 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 8 states: Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Zacatecas
MEX-451–1413Zacatecas
MEX-45D14–6551Zacatecas
MEX-4565–9328Zacatecas, Aguascalientes
local roads93–974Aguascalientes
MEX-4597–12730Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D127–268141Jalisco, Guanajuato
connecting roads268–2691Guanajuato
MEX-47D269–32152Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D321–37857Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-5D378–43254State of Mexico
connecting roads432–4342State of Mexico
MEX-115434–45420State of Mexico
local roads454–48228State of Mexico, Morelos
  • Mile 70 of this route: Zacatecas → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 124 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 171 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 281 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 323 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 356 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 376 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 463 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Fresnillo and Zacualpan de Amilpas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (mile 107), Historic centre of Aguascalientes (mile 108), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 368)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 280), El Tepeyac National Park (mile 408), Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 447)
  • Museums and history: Guadalupe regional museum (mile 43), Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (mile 107), Historic centre of Aguascalientes (mile 108), Celaya Cathedral (mile 256)

Guadalupe regional museum

Mile 43 · Museum · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In Guadalupe, Zacatecas, the Museo de Guadalupe fills a former college that sent missionaries to the north and holds an important collection of 17th- to 19th-century painting, including works by Cristóbal de Villalpando, Miguel Cabrera and Juan Correa.

Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes

Mile 107 · Art museum · 0.9 mi from the route

Inside the Tres Centurias complex at Aguascalientes' old train station, Museo Espacio is a contemporary art museum, so a visit pairs current work with a look at the city's railroad buildings.

Historic centre of Aguascalientes

Mile 108 · Historic district · 0.1 mi from the route

The historic center of Aguascalientes is the city's zone of historic monuments, which INAH has declared part of the nation's heritage.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 256 · 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.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 280 · 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.

Templo y exconvento de San Francisco

Mile 368 · Convent · 0.6 mi from the route

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 Tepeyac National Park

Mile 408 · National Park of Mexico · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.

Historic center of Mexico City

Mile 410 · Old town · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park

Mile 447 · National Park of Mexico · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.

More drives to Zacualpan de Amilpas

From Fresnillo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas?

About 8 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 482 miles.

How far is Zacualpan de Amilpas from Fresnillo by car?

About 482 miles (775 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 Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas?

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 Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas?

The U.S. State Department rates Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Fresnillo to Zacualpan de Amilpas use?

In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Fresnillo and Zacualpan de Amilpas?

Closest to the road: Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (art museum, mile 107, 0.9 mi from the route); Historic centre of Aguascalientes (historic district, mile 108, 0.1 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 368, 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.