The Wayro route from Guadalajara to Zacualpan de Amilpas is 386 miles (621 km), about 7 h 2 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 386 mi (621 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-15D → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → EM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.4 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 Guadalajara to Zacualpan de Amilpas is like
MEX-15D (244 mi) and MEX-55D (34 mi) carry about 72% of the 386 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-55, MEX-200, MEX-160 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Guadalajara to Zacualpan de Amilpas, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 6–250 | 244 | Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 250–254 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 254–288 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 288–293 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 293–299 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 299–300 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 300–308 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 308–311 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 311–315 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 315–319 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 319–334 | 15 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 334–341 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 341–347 | 6 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 347–368 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 368–378 | 10 | Morelos |
| local roads | 378–386 | 8 | Morelos |
- Mile 65 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 233 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 329 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Guadalajara and Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 252), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 328)
- Nature and outdoors: Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 293), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 328)
- Museums and history: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 211), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 252), Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (mile 293), Xochicalco (mile 341), Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca (mile 341)
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.
Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México
Set in the Parque de los Matlatzincas on Cerro del Calvario, the Natural Sciences Museum of the State of Mexico explores biology, geology and the preservation of natural resources.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca
The Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca is a photography museum in Cuernavaca, Morelos, housed in a building that resembles a French-style castle.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
More drives to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Puebla to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Cuernavaca to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Zacatelco to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Mexico City to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Chiautempan to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Apizaco to Zacualpan de Amilpas
From Guadalajara to other places in Mexico
- Guadalajara to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Guadalajara to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Guadalajara to Calvillo
- Guadalajara to Real de Asientos
- Guadalajara to Guadalupe, Zacatecas
- Guadalajara to Zacatecas
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Guadalajara to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
About 7 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 386 miles.
How far is Zacualpan de Amilpas from Guadalajara by car?
About 386 miles (621 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 Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico 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 Guadalajara to Zacualpan de Amilpas use?
In order: MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-55, EM 44, MEX-200, MEX-95D, MEX-160D and MEX-160. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Guadalajara and Zacualpan de Amilpas?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Atlacomulco (catholic cathedral, mile 252, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Ciencias Naturales del Estado de México (museum, mile 293, 1 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 328, 0.3 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.