The Wayro route from Irapuato to Cuernavaca is 239 miles (385 km), about 4 h 7 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 239 mi (385 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 7 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-57 → Periférico → MEX-95D |
| Mexican states on the route | Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.6 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 Irapuato to Cuernavaca is like
MEX-57D (73 mi) and MEX-47D (53 mi) carry about 53% of the 239 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-95D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 6 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Irapuato to Cuernavaca, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 4–50 | 46 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-47D | 50–103 | 53 | Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 103–176 | 73 | Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-57 | 176–184 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 184–185 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| Periférico | 185–203 | 18 | State of Mexico, Mexico City |
| connecting roads | 203–205 | 2 | Mexico City |
| MEX-95D | 205–227 | 22 | Mexico City, Morelos |
| local roads | 227–239 | 12 | Morelos |
- Mile 63 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 104 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 137 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 157 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 189 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 222 of this route: Mexico City → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Irapuato and Cuernavaca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 150), Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 167), Cuicuilco (mile 201)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 61), Cerro de la Estrella National Park (mile 203)
- Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 37), Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 167), Cuautitlán Cathedral (mile 171), Chapultepec aqueduct (mile 190), Museo Experimental El Eco (mile 190), Cuicuilco (mile 201)
Celaya Cathedral
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
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
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.
Museo Nacional del Virreinato
Housed in the former Jesuit college of San Francisco Javier in Tepotzotlán, begun in 1606, this national museum covers three centuries of colonial art. Its Baroque church, built 1670-1682, keeps altarpieces designed by Miguel Cabrera and Higinio de Chávez.
Cuautitlán Cathedral
Cuautitlán's St. Bonaventure Cathedral (Catedral de San Buenaventura) is a Catholic church that forms part of the convent of the same name in this State of Mexico municipality.
Chapultepec aqueduct
The Chapultepec aqueduct was built to bring drinking water to Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Triple Alliance empire and the city now known as Mexico City.
Museo Experimental El Eco
Designed by sculptor Mathias Goeritz, who worked closely with architect Luis Barragán, Museo Experimental El Eco is a contemporary art space in central Mexico City.
Cuicuilco
In Mexico City's Tlalpan borough, Cuicuilco preserves a pyramid whose construction began a few centuries BCE, during the Late Preclassic period, near the old southern shore of Lake Texcoco.
Cerro de la Estrella National Park
Rising in eastern Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough, Cerro de la Estrella is where the Mexica lit the New Fire every 52 years; trails lead up to a pyramid-shaped site museum near the summit and to caves with traces of pre-Hispanic use.
When you get to Cuernavaca
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.
Cuernavaca Cathedral
Franciscans built this 16th-century convent church, now Cuernavaca's cathedral and part of the UNESCO-listed monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl; visitors can see its murals, side chapels and a sacred art museum.
Jardín Borda
Built in the first half of the 18th century for silver miner José de la Borda, this colonial-era house has an artificial lake, fountains and gardens once fed by the hydraulic engineering of its day.
More drives to Cuernavaca
- Toluca to Cuernavaca
- Querétaro to Cuernavaca
- Morelia to Cuernavaca
- Celaya to Cuernavaca
- León to Cuernavaca
- Guadalajara to Cuernavaca
From Irapuato to other places in Mexico
- Irapuato to Paracho
- Irapuato to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Irapuato to Amatitán
- Irapuato to Tequila
- Irapuato to Jerez, Zacatecas
- Irapuato to Sombrerete
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Irapuato to Cuernavaca?
About 4 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 239 miles.
How far is Cuernavaca from Irapuato by car?
About 239 miles (385 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 Irapuato to Cuernavaca?
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 Irapuato to Cuernavaca?
The U.S. State Department rates 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; Mexico City 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 Irapuato to Cuernavaca use?
In order: MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-57, Periférico and MEX-95D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Irapuato and Cuernavaca?
Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 150, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo Nacional del Virreinato (museum, mile 167, 0.9 mi from the route); Cuicuilco (archaeological site, mile 201, 0.1 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.