Irapuato to Orizaba Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Irapuato to Orizaba is 351 miles (565 km), about 5 h 31 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 Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Veracruz is the Mexican state that contains Orizaba. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Celaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasAtlantean figuresTeotihuacanLa Constancia MexicanaTeatro de la Ciudad de PueblaFort GuadalupeLa Malinche National ParkCañón del Río Blanco National ParkIrapuatoOrizaba
Route from Irapuato to Orizaba with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance351 mi (565 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 31 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-150D
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 14.0 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 Orizaba is like

MEX-M40D (106 mi) and MEX-150D (103 mi) carry about 60% of the 351 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota). It runs through 7 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Irapuato to Orizaba, 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-M40D139–245106Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla
MEX-150D245–348103Puebla, Veracruz
local roads348–3513Veracruz
  • 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)
  • Mile 240 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 329 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)

Stops between Irapuato and Orizaba

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Atlantean figures (mile 150), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 262), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 341)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 61), La Malinche National Park (mile 273), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 341)
  • Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 37), Teotihuacan (mile 198), La Constancia Mexicana (mile 262), Fort Guadalupe (mile 266)

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.

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.

La Constancia Mexicana

Mile 262 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

A textile factory founded in 1835 in Puebla now houses the La Constancia museum complex, with a children's museum, a puppet house, a Mexican music museum, an automobile museum and a park of miniature world monuments.

Teatro de la Ciudad de Puebla

Mile 265 · Theatre building · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Teatro de la Ciudad is a performance venue on the Portal Hidalgo, in the historic center of the city of Puebla.

Fort Guadalupe

Mile 266 · Fort · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Fort Guadalupe is a fort you'll find in the city of Puebla, within the Mexican state of the same name.

La Malinche National Park

Mile 273 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 341 · National Park of Mexico · 0.5 mi from the route

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.

When you get to Orizaba

Orizaba Cathedral

Cathedral · in Orizaba

The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is the main Catholic church of Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz, and the seat of the Diocese of Orizaba.

Veracruz State Art Museum

Art museum · in Orizaba

Housed in Orizaba's 18th-century former Oratorio of San Felipe Neri, later a hospital and then a jail, the Veracruz State Art Museum (Museo de Arte del Estado) holds more than 700 works, including 36 by Diego Rivera.

Teatro Llave

Theatre building · in Orizaba

In central Orizaba, the Gran Teatro Ignacio de la Llave hosts artistic and cultural performances, and its exhibition room shows temporary collections, mostly by artists from the surrounding valley.

More drives to Orizaba

From Irapuato to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Irapuato to Orizaba?

About 5 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 351 miles.

How far is Orizaba from Irapuato by car?

About 351 miles (565 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 Orizaba?

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 Orizaba?

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; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz 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 Orizaba use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Irapuato and Orizaba?

Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 150, 1 mi from the route); La Constancia Mexicana (museum, mile 262, 0.4 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 341, 0.5 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.