By road, Matehuala and San Francisco are about 482 miles (775 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 50 min of driving.
| Distance by road | 482 mi (775 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 50 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-70 → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-70D → MEX-200D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.3 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.
Driving Matehuala to San Francisco: the shape of the trip
MEX-80D (127 mi) and MEX-57 (94 mi) carry about 46% of the 482 miles. It runs through 4 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-80D and MEX-90D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Matehuala to San Francisco
| 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 | 317–329 | 12 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 329–338 | 9 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 338–403 | 65 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| local roads | 403–437 | 34 | Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 437–455 | 18 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200D | 455–470 | 15 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200 | 470–480 | 10 | Nayarit |
| local roads | 480–482 | 2 | Nayarit |
- Mile 163 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 174 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 386 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Matehuala and San Francisco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 208), Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara (mile 324), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 396)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Walt Disney (mile 321), Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 465)
- Museums and history: Museo Regional Potosino (mile 119), Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes (mile 121), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 208), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 237), Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas (mile 322), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 396)
Museo Regional Potosino
Opened on November 20, 1952, the Museo Regional Potosino occupies part of the former Convent of San Francisco, built in 1586, in San Luis Potosí.
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
Named after Jalisco writer José Rosas Moreno, this theater in Lagos de Moreno took decades to finish: work started in 1867, and it opened on May 5, 1907.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos
Raised between 1732 and 1769, the cathedral basilica of San Juan de los Lagos draws pilgrims from far away who come to visit the small image of the Virgin kept inside.
Parque Walt Disney
Despite sharing a name with Walt Disney, this recreational space in Guadalajara's Colonia Olímpica has no direct theme tied to Disney's amusement parks.
Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas
The Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas stands on Paseo Alcalde, formerly Avenida Alcalde, in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara
At a roundabout fountain in Guadalajara, a bronze statue of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, stands on a large pedestal inscribed with the names of 18 notable citizens.
Ixtlán del Rio
Between roughly 300 BC and AD 600, people made their home at Los Toriles in Ixtlán del Río. Today visitors come for its circular temple, a rare design in Mesoamerica.
Rincón de Guayabitos
Gentle waves are the draw at Rincón de Guayabitos, where roughly two kilometers of shoreline make this Compostela, Nayarit, beach town a favorite escape for people from Tepic and Guadalajara.
More drives to San Francisco
- La Manzanilla to San Francisco
- Barra de Navidad to San Francisco
- Tecomán to San Francisco
- San Juan de los Lagos to San Francisco
- Pénjamo to San Francisco
- León to San Francisco
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 San Francisco?
About 8 h 50 min of driving without stops, over 482 miles.
What is the driving distance from Matehuala to San Francisco?
About 482 miles (775 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 San Francisco?
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 San Francisco?
The U.S. State Department rates San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Matehuala to San Francisco?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-70, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-70D, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Matehuala and San Francisco?
Closest to the road: Teatro José Rosas Moreno (opera house, mile 208, 0.3 mi from the route); Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara (statue, mile 324, 0.8 mi from the route); Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 396, 0.5 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.