By road, Matehuala and Comala are about 443 miles (713 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 15 min of driving.
| Total distance | 443 mi (713 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 15 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-70 → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Colima |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.7 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.
How the Matehuala to Comala drive plays out
MEX-80D (127 mi) and MEX-57 (94 mi) carry about 50% of the 443 miles. It runs through 4 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Colima. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-80D and MEX-90D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Matehuala to Comala: the road sequence
| 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 | 80–101 | 21 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 101–117 | 16 | San Luis Potosí |
| local roads | 117–127 | 10 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 127–136 | 9 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-70 | 136–153 | 17 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-80 | 153–157 | 4 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-80D | 157–198 | 41 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-80 | 198–231 | 33 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 231–317 | 86 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 317–322 | 5 | Jalisco |
| local roads | 322–326 | 4 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 326–344 | 18 | Jalisco |
| MEX-54D | 344–432 | 88 | Jalisco, Colima |
| MEX-54 | 432–436 | 4 | Colima |
| local roads | 436–443 | 7 | Colima |
- Mile 163 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 173 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 424 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)
Places worth a stop between Matehuala and Comala
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 208)
- Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 419)
- Museums and history: Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes (mile 121), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 208), Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara (mile 321), Guadalajara city museum (mile 322), El Ixtépete (mile 327), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 398), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 398)
Cineteca Alameda
San Luis Potosí's Cineteca Alameda screens Mexican and international films in the 1940s Teatro Alameda building facing the Alameda Juan Sarabia, and also hosts concerts.
Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes
Built in Parque Tangamanga I and opened on September 4, 2008, the Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes is an interactive museum in San Luis Potosí.
Teatro José Rosas Moreno
Lagos de Moreno's Teatro José Rosas Moreno opened its doors on May 5, 1907, some forty years after construction began in 1867. It honors a writer from Jalisco.
Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara
Only a few museums in Mexico are devoted to fossils, and one of them sits in Guadalajara's Parque Agua Azul, where it has welcomed visitors since 2000.
Guadalajara city museum
Guadalajara's city museum (Museo de la Ciudad), in the historic center, opened on February 14, 1992, and covers the city's history and many sides of its culture.
El Ixtépete
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
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
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
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
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
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
- Tepatitlán to Comala
- San Juan de los Lagos to Comala
- Nochistlán to Comala
- Jalpa to Comala
- Lagos de Moreno to Comala
- León to Comala
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 Comala?
About 8 h 15 min of driving without stops, over 443 miles.
What is the driving distance from Matehuala to Comala?
About 443 miles (713 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 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 Matehuala to Comala?
The U.S. State Department rates San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; 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 Matehuala to Comala use?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-70, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-54D and MEX-54. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Matehuala and Comala?
Closest to the road: Cineteca Alameda (cinematheque, mile 119, 1 mi from the route); Teatro José Rosas Moreno (opera house, mile 208, 0.3 mi from the route); Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara (museum, mile 321, 1 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.