By road, Matehuala and Xico are about 533 miles (858 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 55 min of driving.
| Distance | 533 mi (858 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-136 → MEX-140D → VER 7 |
| Mexican states on the route | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-140D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.3 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.
On the road from Matehuala to Xico
MEX-57 (175 mi) and MEX-57D (128 mi) carry about 57% of the 533 miles. It runs through 8 states: San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-M40D and MEX-140D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Matehuala and Xico
| 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 | 449–514 | 65 | Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 514–518 | 4 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 518–522 | 4 | Veracruz |
| VER 7 | 522–526 | 4 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 526–533 | 7 | Veracruz |
- 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)
- Mile 483 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Places worth a stop between Matehuala and Xico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Atlantean figures (mile 319), Museo Taurino de Huamantla (mile 441), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 519), Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (mile 521)
- Nature and outdoors: El Gogorrón National Park (mile 134)
- Museums and history: San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 114), Casa de la Corregidora (mile 235), Teotihuacan (mile 368), Museo Taurino de Huamantla (mile 441), Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (mile 519), Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (mile 521)
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
San Luis Potosí's cathedral anchors the city's historic center, which UNESCO lists as a component of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro World Heritage Site.
El Gogorrón National Park
Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.
Casa de la Corregidora
Completed in 1770 as Querétaro's royal houses and town hall, the Casa de la Corregidora is where Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, held there in 1810, sent word of danger to Miguel Hidalgo. After independence it became the state government palace.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.
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.
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.
Xalapa Museum of Anthropology
Run by the Universidad Veracruzana in a building designed by Edward Durell Stone, the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology displays more than 1,500 pieces from Olmec, central Veracruz and Huastec cultures, including several Olmec colossal heads, amid subtropical gardens.
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
In downtown Xalapa, the Pinacoteca Diego Rivera is an art museum with a large collection of works by the muralist Diego Rivera.
Once you reach Xico
Cascada de Texolo
Two waterfalls on the Matlacobatl River, Texolo with a 20-meter drop and La Monja with about 8 meters, sit roughly 3 kilometers from Xico amid cloud forest included in a Ramsar wetland site.
More drives to Xico
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 Xico?
About 9 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 533 miles.
How far is Xico from Matehuala by car?
About 533 miles (858 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 Xico?
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 Xico?
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; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Matehuala to Xico use?
In order: MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-136, MEX-140D and VER 7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Matehuala to Xico?
Closest to the road: Museo Taurino de Huamantla (bullfighting museum, mile 441, 0.7 mi from the route); Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (archaeological museum, mile 519, 0.2 mi from the route); Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (art museum, mile 521, 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.