Irapuato to Huamantla Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Irapuato to Huamantla is 270 miles (434 km), about 4 h 24 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: 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; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Tlaxcala is the Mexican state that contains Huamantla. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Celaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasSala Histórica QuetzalcóatlAtlantean figuresTeotihuacanAqueduct of Padre TemblequeParque nacional XicoténcatlMuseo Casa de PiedraBasílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, ApizacoIrapuatoHuamantla
Route from Irapuato to Huamantla with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance270 mi (434 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 24 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-136
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 10.8 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 Irapuato to Huamantla is like

MEX-M40D (87 mi) and MEX-47D (53 mi) carry about 52% of the 270 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-136 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Irapuato to Huamantla, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Guanajuato
MEX-45D4–5046Guanajuato
MEX-47D50–10353Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D103–13734Querétaro, State of Mexico
connecting roads137–1392Hidalgo
MEX-M40D139–22687Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala
MEX-136226–27044Tlaxcala
  • 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 167 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 181 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 198 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 211 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 218 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Irapuato and Huamantla

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Atlantean figures (mile 150)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 61), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 250)
  • Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 37), Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (mile 149), Teotihuacan (mile 198), Museo Casa de Piedra (mile 254), Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco (mile 255)

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 37 · 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 61 · 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.

Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl

Mile 149 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

The Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl is an archaeological museum located in Tula de Allende, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Atlantean figures

Mile 150 · Atlantean figures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.

Teotihuacan

Mile 198 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 201 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 250 · National Park of Mexico · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.

Museo Casa de Piedra

Mile 254 · Railway museum · 2 mi from the route

Apizaco's old railroad station, dating from 1916, now houses the Museo Casa de Piedra. Inside, photographs and documents trace the town's history, especially its long ties to the railroads.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco

Mile 255 · Basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the city of Apizaco, this Catholic basilica (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia) was begun in the third decade of the 20th century and completed in 1961.

When you get to Huamantla

Museo Nacional del Títere

Museum · in Huamantla

On the main square of Huamantla, the National Puppet Museum (Museo Nacional del Títere) fills eight galleries with puppets from Mexico and abroad, including pieces tied to the Rosete Aranda family, whose company toured Mexico for generations.

More drives to Huamantla

From Irapuato to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Irapuato to Huamantla?

About 4 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 270 miles.

How far is Huamantla from Irapuato by car?

About 270 miles (434 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 Huamantla?

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 Huamantla?

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; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Irapuato to Huamantla use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Irapuato and Huamantla?

Closest to the road: Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (museum, mile 149, 1 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 150, 1 mi from the route); Museo Casa de Piedra (railway museum, mile 254, 2 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.