Matehuala to Sayula Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 13 October, 2026

By road, Matehuala and Sayula are about 391 miles (629 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 24 min of driving.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: San Luis Potosí — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Sayula. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Centro de las Artes de San Luis PotosíCasa Mariano JiménezMuseo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín RiveraTeatro José Rosas MorenoTeocaltitan Archaeological SiteMuseo Regional de la Ceramica, TlaquepaqueAgua AzulExconvento del CarmenEl IxtépeteMatehualaSayula
Route from Matehuala to Sayula with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance391 mi (629 km)
Drive time without stops7 h 24 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-70 → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54
Mexican states on the routeSan Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-57D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 15.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Matehuala to Sayula is like

MEX-80D (127 mi) and MEX-57 (94 mi) carry about 57% of the 391 miles. It runs through 3 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-80D and MEX-90D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

Which roads connect Matehuala and Sayula

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22San Luis Potosí
MEX-572–8078San Luis Potosí
MEX-57D80–10121San Luis Potosí
MEX-57101–11716San Luis Potosí
local roads117–12710San Luis Potosí
MEX-57D127–1369San Luis Potosí
MEX-70136–15317San Luis Potosí
MEX-80153–1574San Luis Potosí
MEX-80D157–19841San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-80198–23133Jalisco
MEX-80D231–31786Jalisco
MEX-15D317–3225Jalisco
local roads322–3264Jalisco
MEX-15326–34418Jalisco
MEX-54D344–38440Jalisco
connecting roads384–3862Jalisco
MEX-54386–3904Jalisco
local roads390–3911Jalisco
  • Mile 163 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 174 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)

Stops between Matehuala and Sayula

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (mile 207), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 208)
  • Nature and outdoors: Agua Azul (mile 321)
  • Museums and history: Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí (mile 119), Casa Mariano Jiménez (mile 119), Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (mile 207), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 208), Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 244), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 318), El Ixtépete (mile 327)

Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí

Mile 119 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

San Luis Potosí's Centro de las Artes Centenario occupies the state's former penitentiary on Calzada de Guadalupe, an eclectic-style building listed as a historic monument by INAH.

Casa Mariano Jiménez

Mile 119 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

The Casa Museo Mariano Jiménez is a cultural space and house museum in the historic center of San Luis Potosí city.

Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera

Mile 207 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

The Museo Casa Agustín Rivera Altos de Jalisco is a museum in the town of Lagos de Moreno, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

Teatro José Rosas Moreno

Mile 208 · Opera house · 0.3 mi from the route

Construction of the Teatro José Rosas Moreno in Lagos de Moreno began in 1867, and the theater opened on May 5, 1907. It is named for Jalisco writer José Rosas Moreno.

Teocaltitan Archaeological Site

Mile 244 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

A people who dominated much of Los Altos between AD 400 and 900 built Teocaltitán, near Jalostotitlán. The site's pyramids, sunken patios and ball court cover about nine hectares.

Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque

Mile 318 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Ceramics lovers in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, can find the Museo Regional de la Cerámica on Independencia Street. Along with the Pantaleón Panduro Museum, it is one of the city's two principal pottery museums.

Agua Azul

Mile 321 · Park · 1 mi from the route

Parque Agua Azul is an urban park on Calzada Independencia in Guadalajara's historic center, a green stop close to downtown.

Exconvento del Carmen

Mile 322 · Convent · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built in the 17th century for the Discalced Carmelites, the Ex Convento del Carmen in Guadalajara is now a cultural venue with a long religious history.

El Ixtépete

Mile 327 · 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.

More drives to Sayula

From Matehuala to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Matehuala to Sayula?

About 7 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 391 miles.

What is the driving distance from Matehuala to Sayula?

About 391 miles (629 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 Sayula?

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 Sayula?

The U.S. State Department rates San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

Which highways go from Matehuala to Sayula?

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.

Where can you stop on the way from Matehuala to Sayula?

Closest to the road: Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera (museum, mile 207, 0.4 mi from the route); Teatro José Rosas Moreno (opera house, mile 208, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 318, 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.