Huamantla to Metztitlán Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Huamantla to Metztitlán is 144 miles (231 km), about 3 h 12 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Metztitlán. See the full advisory for current details.
Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción AtlihuetziaTeatro de la Ciudad San FranciscoMuseo de Mineralogía de la UAEHEl Chico National ParkAcosta Mine MuseumBasaltic Prisms of Santa María ReglaTemplo y exconvento de San AgustínBarranca de MetztitlánBiosphere Reserve Barranca de MetztitlánHuamantlaMetztitlán
Route from Huamantla to Metztitlán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance144 mi (231 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 12 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-88 → MEX-105 → HGO 37
Mexican states on the routeTlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 5.7 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 Huamantla to Metztitlán is like

MEX-136 (43 mi) and MEX-105 (31 mi) carry about 51% of the 144 miles. MEX-M40D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-136, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Huamantla to Metztitlán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-1360–4343Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D43–7027Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads70–711State of Mexico
MEX-13271–743State of Mexico, Hidalgo
connecting roads74–751Hidalgo
MEX-8875–9015Hidalgo
local roads90–933Hidalgo
MEX-10593–10916Hidalgo
local roads109–1134Hidalgo
MEX-105113–12815Hidalgo
connecting roads128–1291Hidalgo
HGO 37129–14314Hidalgo
local roads143–1441Hidalgo
  • Mile 52 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 60 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 72 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Huamantla and Metztitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Acosta Mine Museum (mile 100), Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (mile 112), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 129), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 136)
  • Nature and outdoors: El Chico National Park (mile 99), Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla (mile 107), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 129), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 136)
  • Museums and history: Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH (mile 94), Acosta Mine Museum (mile 100)

Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia

Mile 19 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The ruined walls of this 16th-century Franciscan convent in Atlihuetzia rise as high as 21 meters beside the 17th-century Purísima Concepción church. The site also holds a sanctuary to Cristóbal, honored as the first Catholic child martyr in the Americas.

Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco

Mile 94 · Theatre building · 1 mi from the route

The Teatro de la Ciudad San Francisco is a theater in the historic center of Pachuca de Soto, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Museo de Mineralogía de la UAEH

Mile 94 · Mineralogical museum · 2 mi from the route

Inside the central building of the state university in downtown Pachuca, the UAEH Mineralogy Museum displays minerals and rocks and is one of the longest-running museums of its kind in Mexico.

El Chico National Park

Mile 99 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.

Acosta Mine Museum

Mile 100 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

In Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, the Museo de Sitio Mina de Acosta is devoted to the history of mining and is run by Pachuca's Archivo Histórico y Museo de Minería.

Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla

Mile 107 · Waterfall · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.

Templo y exconvento de San Agustín

Mile 112 · Convent · 0.7 mi from the route

Founded in 1536 and built between 1542 and 1562, the Augustinian church and former convent of San Agustín in Atotonilco el Grande has a Plateresque design and frescoes.

Barranca de Metztitlán

Mile 129 · Canyon · 0.1 mi from the route

Barranca de Metztitlán is a biosphere reserve in Hidalgo, protected for its steep cliffs, deep winding canyons and distinctive plants and wildlife.

Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán

Mile 136 · Biosphere reserve · 0.6 mi from the route

The Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve protects about 96,000 hectares of eastern-central Hidalgo, where the Amajac, Metztitlán, Almolón and Metzquititlán rivers have cut four canyons, the Metztitlán gorge being the main one.

When you get to Metztitlán

Los Reyes Magos monastery, Metztitlán

Convent · in Metztitlán

Augustinian friars built the fortress-like Santos Reyes convent in Metztitlán in the 16th century, enclosing its atrium with a wall, open chapels and an atrial cross; it stands inside the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve with wide canyon views.

More drives to Metztitlán

From Huamantla to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Huamantla to Metztitlán?

About 3 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 144 miles.

How far is Metztitlán from Huamantla by car?

About 144 miles (231 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 Huamantla to Metztitlán?

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 Huamantla to Metztitlán?

The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Huamantla to Metztitlán use?

In order: MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-88, MEX-105 and HGO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Huamantla and Metztitlán?

Closest to the road: Acosta Mine Museum (museum, mile 100, 0.4 mi from the route); Barranca de Metztitlán (canyon, mile 129, 0.1 mi from the route); Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (biosphere reserve, mile 136, 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.