Matehuala to Tetela del Volcán is about 423 road miles (680 km): roughly 8 h 8 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance | 423 mi (680 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-5D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.9 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.
What the drive from Matehuala to Tetela del Volcán is like
MEX-57 (175 mi) and MEX-57D (150 mi) carry about 77% of the 423 miles. It runs through 6 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D and MEX-5D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Matehuala to Tetela del Volcán: 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 | 80–122 | 42 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 122–219 | 97 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 219–221 | 2 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 221–329 | 108 | Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| MEX-5D | 329–383 | 54 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 383–384 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 384–405 | 21 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 405–423 | 18 | State of Mexico, 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 414 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Matehuala and Tetela del Volcán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 319)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 133), Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (mile 396), Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 398)
- Museums and history: Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 228), Luis Barragán House and Studio (mile 361)
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.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
Luis Barragán House and Studio
Luis Barragán built his own house and studio in Mexico City in 1948, blending modern design with Mexican vernacular touches. The concrete house and its private garden joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.
Guerrero Chimalli
Rising 60 meters beside Bordo de Xochiaca Avenue in Chimalhuacán, this steel sculpture by Sebastián depicts an Indigenous warrior holding a shield (chimalli) and a mace.
Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad
Bosque de los Árboles de Navidad in Amecameca, State of Mexico, is a tourist park with a greenhouse, covering about 400 hectares.
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.
In Tetela del Volcán itself
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
More drives to Tetela del Volcán
- Cuernavaca to Tetela del Volcán
- Mexico City to Tetela del Volcán
- Zacatelco to Tetela del Volcán
- Tlaxcala to Tetela del Volcán
- Apizaco to Tetela del Volcán
- Metepec to Tetela del Volcán
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 Tetela del Volcán?
About 8 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 423 miles.
How far is Tetela del Volcán from Matehuala by car?
About 423 miles (680 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 Tetela del Volcán?
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 Tetela del Volcán?
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; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Matehuala to Tetela del Volcán?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Matehuala and Tetela del Volcán?
Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 319, 0.5 mi from the route); Guerrero Chimalli (colossal statue, mile 365, 1 mi from the route); Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (park, mile 396, 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.