Matehuala to Tepoztlán is about 414 road miles (666 km): roughly 7 h 46 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Total distance | 414 mi (666 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 46 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → Periférico → MEX-95D → MEX-160D |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-95D, MEX-115D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.5 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 Tepoztlán: the shape of the trip
MEX-57 (184 mi) and MEX-57D (166 mi) carry about 85% of the 414 miles. It runs through 7 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-95D and MEX-115D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Matehuala to Tepoztlán
| 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 | 221–345 | 124 | Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-57 | 345–354 | 9 | State of Mexico |
| Periférico | 354–373 | 19 | State of Mexico, Mexico City |
| connecting roads | 373–375 | 2 | Mexico City |
| MEX-95D | 375–406 | 31 | Mexico City, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 406–407 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 407–411 | 4 | Morelos |
| local roads | 411–414 | 3 | Morelos |
- 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 327 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 359 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 391 of this route: Mexico City → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Matehuala and Tepoztlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 319), Archaeological site of Mixcoac (mile 362), El Carmen complex (mile 365), Bosque de Tlalpan (mile 370)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 133), El Pensil Mexicano (mile 359), Bosque de Tlalpan (mile 370)
- Museums and history: Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 228), Museo Experimental El Eco (mile 360), Archaeological site of Mixcoac (mile 362), El Carmen complex (mile 365)
El Gogorrón National Park
Decreed a national park in 1936, Gogorrón in San Luis Potosí mixes desert scrub and grassland with pine-oak forest on its heights, and hot-spring balnearios lie within its bounds.
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
Baroque churches and mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries line the streets of Querétaro's historic center, along with the city's landmark aqueduct.
Templo y exconvento de San Francisco
The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.
El Pensil Mexicano
At 80 Lago Chiem street in Mexico City's Colonia Pensil, El Pensil Mexicano is a Baroque-style garden on a 3,000-square-meter lot, one of the last remnants of New Spain's pleasure gardens.
Museo Experimental El Eco
Designed by sculptor Mathias Goeritz, who worked closely with architect Luis Barragán, Museo Experimental El Eco is a contemporary art space in central Mexico City.
Archaeological site of Mixcoac
Once on the shore of Lake Texcoco, Mixcoac is a Mexica archaeological zone that, in its final phase, was under the rule of Tenochtitlan.
El Carmen complex
Discalced Carmelites founded this convent in San Ángel on June 29, 1615; today the former convent is a museum in the south of Mexico City.
Bosque de Tlalpan
Bosque de Tlalpan is a protected urban forest of about 253 hectares in southern Mexico City, near the Periférico Sur and Avenida Insurgentes Sur.
In Tepoztlán itself
Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum
Tepoztlán's Dominican monastery, built between 1555 and 1580, keeps original 16th-century murals in its cloister. Upstairs, the museum covers local daily life, faith, festivals and dances, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
El Tepozteco
High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.
El Tepozteco National Park
Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.
More drives to Tepoztlán
- Mexico City to Tepoztlán
- Metepec to Tepoztlán
- Toluca to Tepoztlán
- Atlixco to Tepoztlán
- Taxco to Tepoztlán
- Tepotzotlán to Tepoztlán
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 Tepoztlán?
About 7 h 46 min of driving without stops, over 414 miles.
How far is Tepoztlán from Matehuala by car?
About 414 miles (666 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 Tepoztlán?
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 Tepoztlán?
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; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Matehuala to Tepoztlán?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, Periférico, MEX-95D and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Matehuala to Tepoztlán?
Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 319, 0.5 mi from the route); Archaeological site of Mixcoac (archaeological site, mile 362, 0.1 mi from the route); Bosque de Tlalpan (park, mile 370, 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.