Plan on about 9 h 49 min of driving for the 521-mile (839 km) trip from Matehuala to Cuetzalan, before any stops.
| Distance by road | 521 mi (839 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-136 → MEX-140D → MEX-129D → PUE 575 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-140D, MEX-129D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.9 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.
The Matehuala–Cuetzalan drive in a few lines
MEX-57 (175 mi) and MEX-57D (128 mi) carry about 58% of the 521 miles. It runs through 7 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-140D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Matehuala to Cuetzalan, road by road
| 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 | 396–448 | 52 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 448–449 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 449–462 | 13 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 462–463 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-129D | 463–487 | 24 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 487–490 | 3 | Puebla |
| PUE 575 | 490–521 | 31 | Puebla |
- 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)
- Mile 458 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Matehuala and Cuetzalan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Atlantean figures (mile 319), Museo Taurino de Huamantla (mile 441)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 134), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 421)
- Museums and history: San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 114), Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 228), Teotihuacan (mile 368), Museo Taurino de Huamantla (mile 441)
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
Look closely at the two towers of San Luis Potosí's cathedral: one is built of mortar, the other of quarried cantera stone. The Baroque church is the seat of the archdiocese.
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.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
UNESCO listed Querétaro's historic center in 1996. Here, the Spanish grid of streets meets the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters, with Baroque churches and mansions throughout.
Atlantean figures
Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents 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.
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.
Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia
The ruined walls of this 16th-century Franciscan convent in Atlihuetzia rise as high as 21 meters beside the 17th-century Purísima Concepción church. The site also holds a sanctuary to Cristóbal, honored as the first Catholic child martyr in the Americas.
Museo Taurino de Huamantla
Next to Huamantla's La Taurina bullring, the Museo Taurino occupies an 18th-century building and since 1982 has displayed bullfighters' costumes, vintage posters, scale models of Mexican bullrings and murals about the Huamantlada.
When you get to Cuetzalan
Yohualichan
Pre-Columbian ruins at Yohualichan form an archaeological site in the municipality of Cuetzalan del Progreso, in the Mexican state of Puebla.
More drives to Cuetzalan
- Chiautempan to Cuetzalan
- Cholula to Cuetzalan
- Huejotzingo to Cuetzalan
- Calpulalpan to Cuetzalan
- Pachuca to Cuetzalan
- Otumba to Cuetzalan
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 does it take to drive from Matehuala to Cuetzalan?
About 9 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 521 miles.
What is the driving distance from Matehuala to Cuetzalan?
About 521 miles (839 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 Cuetzalan?
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 Cuetzalan?
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; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Matehuala to Cuetzalan?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-136, MEX-140D, MEX-129D and PUE 575. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Matehuala to Cuetzalan?
Closest to the road: Atlantean figures (sculptures, mile 319, 1 mi from the route); Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia (convent, mile 421, 1 mi from the route); Museo Taurino de Huamantla (bullfighting museum, mile 441, 0.7 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.