By road, Matehuala and Chiautempan are about 426 miles (686 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 55 min of driving.
| Total distance | 426 mi (686 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-136 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-117D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.0 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.
The Matehuala–Chiautempan drive in a few lines
MEX-57 (175 mi) and MEX-57D (128 mi) carry about 71% of the 426 miles. It runs through 6 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-117D. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Road-by-road breakdown: Matehuala to Chiautempan
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 2–80 | 78 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 80–122 | 42 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 122–219 | 97 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 219–221 | 2 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 221–307 | 86 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 307–308 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 308–396 | 88 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala |
| MEX-136 | 396–419 | 23 | Tlaxcala |
| local roads | 419–426 | 7 | Tlaxcala |
- Mile 160 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 213 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 274 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 307 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 337 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 350 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 367 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 380 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 388 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Chiautempan
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 134), Tula National Park (mile 319)
- Museums and history: Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 228), Casa de la Corregidora (mile 235), Teotihuacan (mile 368), Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco (mile 419), Museo Casa de Piedra (mile 420)
El Gogorrón National Park
Hot-spring balnearios lie within the bounds of Gogorrón National Park, which covers parts of Villa de Reyes and Santa María del Río in San Luis Potosí. Its higher ground carries pine-oak forest.
Former hacienda of Chichimequillas
Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.
Casa de la Corregidora
Completed in 1770 as Querétaro's royal houses and town hall, the Casa de la Corregidora is where Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, held there in 1810, sent word of danger to Miguel Hidalgo. After independence it became the state government palace.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.
Tula National Park
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.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
Running more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba, Padre Tembleque's 16th-century water system has been on UNESCO's list since 2015. The friar built it from 1554 to 1572.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco
In the city of Apizaco, this Catholic basilica (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia) was begun in the third decade of the 20th century and completed in 1961.
Museo Casa de Piedra
Apizaco's old railroad station, dating from 1916, now houses the Museo Casa de Piedra. Inside, photographs and documents trace the town's history, especially its long ties to the railroads.
Once you reach Chiautempan
Basílica de Ocotlán
On Cerro de San Lorenzo near the city of Tlaxcala, the Basílica de Ocotlán is a standout of Mexican Churrigueresque Baroque, begun in 1670 and home to an ocote-wood image of the Virgin tied to a 1541 legend.
Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco
Ocotelulco was the principal Tlaxcalan lordship in 1519; its site museum displays about 750 excavated objects beside temple remains painted with Tezcatlipoca and the fire serpent, and an ethnobotanical garden surrounds the building.
Tlaxcala Cathedral
Part of a 16th-century Franciscan complex among the earliest in the Americas, Tlaxcala's cathedral is famous for its carved Mudéjar-style wooden ceiling. Look for the freestanding bell tower and the stone font where Tlaxcalan lords were baptized.
More drives to Chiautempan
- Atlixco to Chiautempan
- Cuautla to Chiautempan
- Toluca to Chiautempan
- Cuernavaca to Chiautempan
- Zitácuaro to Chiautempan
- Celaya to Chiautempan
From Matehuala to other places in Mexico
- Matehuala to San Juan de los Lagos
- Matehuala to Pabellón de Arteaga
- Matehuala to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Matehuala to Calvillo
- Matehuala to Temacapulín
- Matehuala to Jalpa
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Matehuala to Chiautempan?
About 7 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 426 miles.
What is the driving distance from Matehuala to Chiautempan?
About 426 miles (686 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 Matehuala to Chiautempan?
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 Matehuala to Chiautempan?
The U.S. State Department rates San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Matehuala to Chiautempan use?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Matehuala and Chiautempan?
Closest to the road: Tula National Park (national park, mile 319, 1 mi from the route); Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 370, 2 mi from the route); Museo Casa de Piedra (railway museum, mile 420, 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.