Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro is 360 miles (580 km), about 6 h 29 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. State of Mexico is the Mexican state that contains El Oro. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Cathedral Basilica of ZacatecasMuseo Toma de ZacatecasGuadalupe regional museumMuseo de la InsurgenciaMuseum of Contemporary ArtHistoric centre of AguascalientesTeatro Morelos de MaravatíoJerez, ZacatecasEl Oro
Route from Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance360 mi (580 km)
Driving time, no stops6 h 29 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-23 → MEX-54 → MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-43D → MEX-15D
Mexican states on the routeZacatecas (Level 4), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 14.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

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 Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro is like

MEX-45D (128 mi) and MEX-45 (70 mi) carry about 55% of the 360 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-23, MEX-54, MEX-45 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, State of Mexico. Of the 7 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
MEX-230–1616Zacatecas
MEX-5416–3014Zacatecas
MEX-4530–4212Zacatecas
MEX-45D42–6321Zacatecas
MEX-4563–9128Zacatecas, Aguascalientes
local roads91–954Aguascalientes
MEX-4595–12530Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D125–232107Jalisco, Guanajuato
MEX-43D232–28351Guanajuato, Michoacán
connecting roads283–2852Michoacán
MEX-15D285–35065Michoacán
local roads350–36010Michoacán, State of Mexico
  • Mile 68 of this route: Zacatecas → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 121 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 170 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 270 of this route: Guanajuato → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 358 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)

Stops between Jerez, Zacatecas and El Oro

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas (mile 34), Museo Toma de Zacatecas (mile 35), Guadalupe regional museum (mile 38), Museum of Contemporary Art (mile 106), Historic centre of Aguascalientes (mile 106)
  • Museums and history: Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas (mile 34), Museo Toma de Zacatecas (mile 35), Guadalupe regional museum (mile 38), Museo de la Insurgencia (mile 86), Museum of Contemporary Art (mile 106), Historic centre of Aguascalientes (mile 106), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 332)

Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas

Mile 34 · Minor basilica · 0.6 mi from the route

Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the Cathedral of Zacatecas is the main church of the Diocese of Zacatecas.

Museo Toma de Zacatecas

Mile 35 · Museum · 0.7 mi from the route

On the Cerro de la Bufa, this museum explains the military and social story behind the Taking of Zacatecas during the Mexican Revolution, along with glimpses of daily life in the city at the time.

Guadalupe regional museum

Mile 38 · Museum · 0.7 mi from the route

In Guadalupe, Zacatecas, the Museo de Guadalupe fills a former college that sent missionaries to the north and holds an important collection of 17th- to 19th-century painting, including works by Cristóbal de Villalpando, Miguel Cabrera and Juan Correa.

Museo de la Insurgencia

Mile 86 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Set in a 17th-century estate, the Museo de la Insurgencia opened in 1964 to tell the story of Mexico's independence movement. One hall shows farm, mining and textile tools from hacienda work; another displays everyday objects from past eras.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Mile 106 · Art museum · 0.2 mi from the route

Aguascalientes' Museum of Contemporary Art shows works by contemporary Mexican artists in its Jesús F. Contreras gallery.

Historic centre of Aguascalientes

Mile 106 · Historic district · 0.2 mi from the route

The historic center of Aguascalientes is the city's zone of historic monuments, which INAH has declared part of the nation's heritage.

Teatro Morelos de Maravatío

Mile 332 · Opera house · 1 mi from the route

Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.

When you get to El Oro

Rayón National Park

National Park of Mexico · in El Oro

Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.

Museo del Ferrocarril del Oro

Museum · in El Oro

The Museo del Ferrocarril is in El Oro de Hidalgo, State of Mexico, a town seen as an important part of Mexico's mining and railroad history and named a Pueblo Mágico in 2011.

More drives to El Oro

From Jerez, Zacatecas to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro?

About 6 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 360 miles.

How far is El Oro from Jerez, Zacatecas by car?

About 360 miles (580 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 Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro?

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 Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro?

The U.S. State Department rates Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; 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 Jerez, Zacatecas to El Oro use?

In order: MEX-23, MEX-54, MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-43D and MEX-15D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Jerez, Zacatecas and El Oro?

Closest to the road: Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas (minor basilica, mile 34, 0.6 mi from the route); Museum of Contemporary Art (art museum, mile 106, 0.2 mi from the route); Historic centre of Aguascalientes (historic district, mile 106, 0.2 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.