The Wayro route from Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec is 423 miles (681 km), about 7 h 4 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 423 mi (681 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 4 min |
| Main roads, in order | JAL 302 → MEX-45D → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-136 → MEX-140D → VER 7 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-140D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.9 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 Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec is like
MEX-45D (107 mi) and MEX-M40D (87 mi) carry about 46% of the 423 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-140D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-136 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 8 states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Jalisco |
| JAL 302 | 1–8 | 7 | Jalisco |
| MEX-45D | 8–115 | 107 | Jalisco, Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 115–116 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-47D | 116–168 | 52 | Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 168–203 | 35 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 203–204 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 204–291 | 87 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 291–292 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-136 | 292–344 | 52 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 344–345 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 345–410 | 65 | Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 410–414 | 4 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 414–418 | 4 | Veracruz |
| VER 7 | 418–422 | 4 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 422–423 | 1 | Veracruz |
- Mile 18 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 128 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 170 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 203 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 232 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 247 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 263 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 276 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 283 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 354 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 380 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Stops between Lagos de Moreno and Coatepec
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 415), Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (mile 417)
- Nature and outdoors: El Cimatario National Park (mile 132), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 317), Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 388)
- Museums and history: Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (mile 215), Museo de Sitio de Cantona (mile 370), Cantona (mile 371), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 415), Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (mile 417)
El Cimatario National Park
El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.
Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl
The Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl is an archaeological museum located in Tula de Allende, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
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
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 de Sitio de Cantona
At the Cantona archaeological zone in Tepeyahualco, this site museum shows finds from more than 20 years of digs: pottery, obsidian and stone tools, musical instruments, greenstone and shell ornaments, and burial remains.
Cantona
High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.
Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote
Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.
Xalapa Museum of Anthropology
Run by the Universidad Veracruzana in a building designed by Edward Durell Stone, the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology displays more than 1,500 pieces from Olmec, central Veracruz and Huastec cultures, including several Olmec colossal heads, amid subtropical gardens.
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
In downtown Xalapa, the Pinacoteca Diego Rivera is an art museum with a large collection of works by the muralist Diego Rivera.
When you get to Coatepec
Cascada de Texolo
Two waterfalls on the Matlacobatl River, Texolo with a 20-meter drop and La Monja with about 8 meters, sit roughly 3 kilometers from Xico amid cloud forest included in a Ramsar wetland site.
Jardín Botánico Francisco J. Clavijero
Opened in 1977 by the Instituto de Ecología near Xalapa, this botanical garden sits in native cloud forest beside a 30-hectare forest sanctuary and keeps notable collections of Mexican cycads, bamboo and carnivorous butterworts.
More drives to Coatepec
- Teziutlán to Coatepec
- Puebla to Coatepec
- Cholula to Coatepec
- Tulancingo to Coatepec
- Pachuca to Coatepec
- Mexico City to Coatepec
From Lagos de Moreno to other places in Mexico
- Lagos de Moreno to Real de Asientos
- Lagos de Moreno to Amatitán
- Lagos de Moreno to Tequila
- Lagos de Moreno to San Luis Soyatlán
- Lagos de Moreno to Bernal
- Lagos de Moreno to Ezequiel Montes
Continue Your Adventure
- Lagos de Moreno to Ixtenco Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety
- Lagos de Moreno to Omitlán Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way
- Lagos de Moreno to Tlaltizapán Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops
- Lagos de Moreno to Zacatelco Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops
- Lagos de Moreno to Cadereyta Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec?
About 7 h 4 min of driving without stops, over 423 miles.
How far is Coatepec from Lagos de Moreno by car?
About 423 miles (681 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 Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec?
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 Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; 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 Lagos de Moreno to Coatepec use?
In order: JAL 302, MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-136, MEX-140D and VER 7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Lagos de Moreno and Coatepec?
Closest to the road: Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl (museum, mile 215, 1 mi from the route); Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (archaeological museum, mile 415, 0.2 mi from the route); Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (art museum, mile 417, 0.6 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.