León to Amatitán Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from León to Amatitán is 167 miles (268 km), about 2 h 57 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Amatitán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los LagosTeocaltitan Archaeological SiteMuseo Regional de la CerámicaAgua AzulBasílica de San Felipe NeriParque Metropolitano de GuadalajaraLeónAmatitán
Route from León to Amatitán with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance167 mi (268 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 57 min
Main roads, in orderGTO 37 → MEX-45D → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 6.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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 León to Amatitán is like

MEX-80D (87 mi) and MEX-45D (25 mi) carry about 67% of the 167 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-80, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: Guanajuato, Jalisco. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from León to Amatitán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Guanajuato
GTO 372–64Guanajuato
MEX-45D6–3125Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-8031–4514Jalisco
MEX-80D45–13287Jalisco
MEX-15D132–14412Jalisco
MEX-15144–16723Jalisco
  • Mile 14 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)

Stops between León and Amatitán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (mile 142)
  • Nature and outdoors: Agua Azul (mile 136), Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (mile 142)
  • Museums and history: Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 51), Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 58), Museo Regional de la Cerámica (mile 133), Basílica de San Felipe Neri (mile 137)

Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos

Mile 51 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.

Teocaltitan Archaeological Site

Mile 58 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Near Jalostotitlán in the Los Altos region, the Teocaltitán site holds pyramids, sunken patios and a ball court spread across about nine hectares, built by a people who dominated much of the area from AD 400 to 900.

Museo Regional de la Cerámica

Mile 133 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

On Calle Independencia in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, the Museo Regional de la Cerámica is one of the town's two main ceramics museums.

Agua Azul

Mile 136 · Park · 1 mi from the route

Parque Agua Azul is an urban park on Calzada Independencia in Guadalajara's historic center, a green stop close to downtown.

Basílica de San Felipe Neri

Mile 137 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Guadalajara's Basilica of San Felipe Neri is a Catholic church built in baroque style between 1752 and 1802 by master builder Pedro José Ciprés.

Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara

Mile 142 · Park · 0.9 mi from the route

Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara is a public park in Zapopan, Jalisco, that hosts many events, including concerts, outdoor movie screenings and food festivals.

More drives to Amatitán

From León to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from León to Amatitán?

About 2 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 167 miles.

How far is Amatitán from León by car?

About 167 miles (268 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 León to Amatitán?

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 León to Amatitán?

The U.S. State Department rates Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from León to Amatitán use?

In order: GTO 37, MEX-45D, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between León and Amatitán?

Closest to the road: Museo Regional de la Cerámica (museum, mile 133, 1 mi from the route); Agua Azul (park, mile 136, 1 mi from the route); Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (park, mile 142, 0.9 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.