Irapuato to Tuxpan, Veracruz Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Irapuato to Tuxpan, Veracruz is 334 miles (538 km), about 5 h 19 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; 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 Tuxpan, Veracruz. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Celaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasEl Cimatario National ParkAtlantean figuresTula National ParkAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTulancingo CathedralMuseo del FerrocarrilEl TajínIrapuatoTuxpan, Veracruz
Route from Irapuato to Tuxpan, Veracruz with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance334 mi (538 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 19 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-132 → MEX-132D → MEX-130D
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132D, MEX-130D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.4 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 Tuxpan, Veracruz is like

MEX-132D (88 mi) and MEX-M40D (60 mi) carry about 44% of the 334 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132D, MEX-130D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-132 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 6 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Irapuato to Tuxpan, Veracruz, 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-M40D139–19960Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-132199–22223State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-132D222–31088Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz
MEX-130D310–33323Veracruz
local roads333–3341Veracruz
  • 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 201 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 247 of this route: Hidalgo → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 302 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)

Stops between Irapuato and Tuxpan, Veracruz

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Atlantean figures (mile 150)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 61), El Cimatario National Park (mile 66), Tula National Park (mile 150)
  • Museums and history: Celaya Cathedral (mile 37), Tulancingo Cathedral (mile 228), Museo del Ferrocarril (mile 228), El Tajín (mile 311)

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.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 66 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

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.

Tula National Park

Mile 150 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.

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.

Tulancingo Cathedral

Mile 228 · Cathedral · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tulancingo Cathedral grew from a 16th-century Franciscan mission. The present church, designed by architect José Damián Ortiz de Castro and consecrated in 1806, has an unusual Neoclassical portico with Ionic columns and a triangular pediment.

Museo del Ferrocarril

Mile 228 · Railway museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This former railway station on the old Hidalgo Railroad line to Mexico City now works as a museum, with photographs of its construction and the office and bookkeeping objects used in its day.

El Tajín

Mile 311 · Archaeological site · 17 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Veracruz, El Tajín peaked from the early 9th to the early 13th century. Look for the Pyramid of the Niches, elaborately carved reliefs on columns and friezes, and some of the site's 17 ballcourts.

More drives to Tuxpan, Veracruz

From Irapuato to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Irapuato to Tuxpan, Veracruz?

About 5 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 334 miles.

How far is Tuxpan, Veracruz from Irapuato by car?

About 334 miles (538 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 Tuxpan, Veracruz?

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 Tuxpan, Veracruz?

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; 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 Tuxpan, Veracruz use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-132, MEX-132D and MEX-130D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Irapuato and Tuxpan, Veracruz?

Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 150, 1 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 150, 1 mi from the route); Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 201, 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.