León to Comala Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from León to Comala is 258 miles (415 km), about 4 h 24 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Colima is the Mexican state that contains Comala. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Teocaltitan Archaeological SiteMuseo Regional de la Ceramica, TlaquepaqueMuseo Regional de GuadalajaraEl IxtépeteCiudad Guzmán CathedralMuseo Arqueológico de Ciudad GuzmánVolcán Nevado de Colima National ParkLeónComala
Route from León to Comala with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance258 mi (415 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 24 min
Main roads, in orderGTO 37 → MEX-45D → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 10.3 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 León to Comala is like

MEX-54D (89 mi) and MEX-80D (87 mi) carry about 68% of the 258 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-80, MEX-15, MEX-54 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Guanajuato, Jalisco, Colima. None of the 7 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from León to Comala, 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-15D132–1375Jalisco
local roads137–1414Jalisco
MEX-15141–15817Jalisco
MEX-54D158–24789Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54247–2503Colima
local roads250–2588Colima
  • Mile 14 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 238 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

Stops between León and Comala

  • Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 234)
  • Museums and history: Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 58), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 133), Museo Regional de Guadalajara (mile 137), El Ixtépete (mile 142), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 213), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 213)

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 Ceramica, Tlaquepaque

Mile 133 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

On Independencia Street in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, the Museo Regional de la Cerámica is one of the city's two main ceramics museums, alongside the Pantaleón Panduro Museum.

Museo Regional de Guadalajara

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

Facing the Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres in downtown Guadalajara, the Museo Regional de Guadalajara fills a full city block bounded by Hidalgo, Pino Suárez, Liceo and Independencia streets.

El Ixtépete

Mile 142 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Zapopan's El Ixtépete preserves a pyramid built around AD 650-750, during the Grillo tradition, with at least seven superimposed construction phases; the site lies within the Guadalajara metro area near the Periférico and Avenida Mariano Otero.

Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral

Mile 213 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.

Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán

Mile 213 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in the 1950s with writer Juan José Arreola among its promoters, this INAH museum in Ciudad Guzmán shows stone and ceramic pieces from western Mexico, colonial-era religious art and sketches by muralist José Clemente Orozco.

Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park

Mile 234 · National Park of Mexico · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This national park in western Mexico protects the upper slopes of two volcanic peaks, Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima, in the states of Jalisco and Colima.

When you get to Comala

Museo Universitario Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo

Museum · in Comala

Founded in 1996 in the village of Nogueras, in Comala, this university museum honors painter Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo and forms part of the Nogueras cultural complex.

El Chanal

Archaeological site · in Comala

North of Colima city, this Postclassic settlement straddles the Colima River. Its ceremonial core holds temples, palaces, altars and a ballcourt, and digs revealed copper, silver and gold metalwork along with pottery and obsidian tools.

More drives to Comala

From León to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from León to Comala?

About 4 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 258 miles.

How far is Comala from León by car?

About 258 miles (415 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 Comala?

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 Comala?

The U.S. State Department rates Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from León to Comala use?

In order: GTO 37, MEX-45D, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-54D and MEX-54. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between León and Comala?

Closest to the road: Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 133, 1 mi from the route); El Ixtépete (archaeological site, mile 142, 1 mi from the route); Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (museum, mile 213, 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.