Guanajuato to Manzanillo Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Guanajuato to Manzanillo is 349 miles (562 km), about 6 h 6 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Colima is the Mexican state that contains Manzanillo. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.

Route from Guanajuato to Manzanillo with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).

Distance	349 mi (562 km)
Driving time, no stops	6 h 6 min
Main roads, in order	MEX-110D → MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54 → MEX-110 → MEX-200D
Mexican states on the route	Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roads	MEX-110D, MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)	about 14.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below	8

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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 Guanajuato to Manzanillo is like

MEX-54D (89 mi) and MEX-80D (85 mi) carry about 50% of the 349 miles. MEX-110D, MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-80, MEX-15, MEX-54, MEX-110 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Guanajuato, Jalisco, Colima. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Guanajuato to Manzanillo, road by road

Road	Route miles (from–to)	Length, mi	State
local roads	0–4	4	Guanajuato
MEX-110D	4–12	8	Guanajuato
MEX-45	12–25	13	Guanajuato
connecting roads	25–26	1	Guanajuato
MEX-45D	26–63	37	Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-80	63–78	15	Jalisco
MEX-80D	78–163	85	Jalisco
MEX-15D	163–169	6	Jalisco
local roads	169–173	4	Jalisco
MEX-15	173–191	18	Jalisco
MEX-54D	191–280	89	Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54	280–287	7	Colima
MEX-110	287–311	24	Colima
connecting roads	311–314	3	Colima
MEX-200D	314–346	32	Colima
local roads	346–349	3	Colima

Mile 46 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
Mile 270 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

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Stops between Guanajuato and Manzanillo

Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 323)
Museums and history: Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 83), Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 90), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 245), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 245), Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (mile 285), Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 323)

Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos

Mile 83 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.

Teocaltitan Archaeological Site

Mile 90 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Near Jalostotitlán in the Los Altos region, the Teocaltitán site holds pyramids, sunken patios and a ball court spread across about nine hectares, built by a people who dominated much of the area from AD 400 to 900.

Diana Theatre

Mile 168 · Venue · 1 mi from the route

The Diana Theatre, or Teatro Diana, is an indoor theater in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, with seating for 2,345 people.

Exconvento del Carmen

Mile 169 · Convent · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built in the 17th century for the Discalced Carmelites, the Ex Convento del Carmen in Guadalajara is now a cultural venue with a long religious history.

Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral

Mile 245 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.

Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán

Mile 245 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in the 1950s with writer Juan José Arreola among its promoters, this INAH museum in Ciudad Guzmán shows stone and ceramic pieces from western Mexico, colonial-era religious art and sketches by muralist José Clemente Orozco.

Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar

Mile 285 · Art gallery · 1 mi from the route

Founded by collector María Teresa Pomar and run by the University of Colima, this museum is dedicated to Mexican folk art and handcrafts (artesanía), with pieces from across the country as well as the traditions of Colima state.

Museo Comunitario de la Sal

Mile 323 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

Set in an old warehouse in Cuyutlán, the community Salt Museum (Museo Comunitario de la Sal) explains how local salt has been harvested, from the old tapeixtle technique to modern methods, with historic photos of the salt works.

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Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Guanajuato to Manzanillo?

About 6 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 349 miles.

How far is Manzanillo from Guanajuato by car?

About 349 miles (562 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 Guanajuato to Manzanillo?

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 Guanajuato to Manzanillo?

The U.S. State Department rates Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Guanajuato to Manzanillo use?

In order: MEX-110D, MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-54D, MEX-54, MEX-110 and MEX-200D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Guanajuato and Manzanillo?

Closest to the road: Diana Theatre (venue, mile 168, 1 mi from the route); Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (art gallery, mile 285, 1 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 323, 0.4 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.