The Wayro route from Metepec to Chipilo is 121 miles (195 km), about 2 h 19 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 121 mi (195 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-15 → MEX-15D → Viaducto → MEX-150D |
| Mexican states on the route | State of Mexico (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-15D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.9 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 Metepec to Chipilo is like
MEX-150D (65 mi) and MEX-15D (20 mi) carry about 70% of the 121 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-150D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 3 states: State of Mexico, Mexico City, Puebla. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Metepec to Chipilo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15 | 3–10 | 7 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 10–30 | 20 | State of Mexico, Mexico City |
| connecting roads | 30–35 | 5 | Mexico City |
| Viaducto | 35–42 | 7 | Mexico City |
| local roads | 42–48 | 6 | Mexico City, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 48–49 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-150D | 49–114 | 65 | State of Mexico, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 114–117 | 3 | Puebla |
| local roads | 117–121 | 4 | Puebla |
- Mile 23 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
- Mile 45 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 78 of this route: State of Mexico → Puebla (state line)
Stops between Metepec and Chipilo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Desierto de los Leones National Park (mile 23), Museo de Historia Natural (mile 34), Galería de Arte Mexicano (mile 34), Museo Cabeza de Juárez (mile 45)
- Nature and outdoors: Desierto de los Leones National Park (mile 23), Museo de Historia Natural (mile 34), Cerro de la Estrella National Park (mile 44)
- Museums and history: Museo de Historia Natural (mile 34), Galería de Arte Mexicano (mile 34), Museo Nacional de San Carlos (mile 37), Museo de la Mujer (mile 39), Museo Cabeza de Juárez (mile 45), Xochitecatl (mile 100), Cacaxtla (mile 101)
Desierto de los Leones National Park
Declared a national park in 1917, this fir, ash and oak forest in Mexico City's Cuajimalpa and Álvaro Obregón boroughs surrounds a former Carmelite monastery. Locals come to hike, run and cycle, and more than 100 bird species live here.
Museo de Historia Natural
In the second section of Chapultepec Park, the Museo de Historia Natural y Cultura Ambiental displays mounted animals, fossils, rocks, minerals, sculptures and models about life on Earth and Mexico's biodiversity.
Galería de Arte Mexicano
Galería de Arte Mexicano was founded in 1935 and directed for decades by Inés Amor; its Mexico City building was designed by architect Andrés Casillas de Alba.
Museo Nacional de San Carlos
Mexico City's Museo Nacional de San Carlos, in the Cuauhtémoc borough, is a national art museum devoted to European art.
Museo de la Mujer
Run by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Museo de la Mujer highlights the role women have played in building Mexico throughout its history.
Cerro de la Estrella National Park
Rising in eastern Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough, Cerro de la Estrella is where the Mexica lit the New Fire every 52 years; trails lead up to a pyramid-shaped site museum near the summit and to caves with traces of pre-Hispanic use.
Museo Cabeza de Juárez
A colossal head of Benito Juárez, the 26th president of Mexico, crowns this museum and monument in Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough.
Xochitecatl
Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.
Cacaxtla
Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.
When you get to Chipilo
Puebla Cathedral
Consecrated in 1649, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Archdiocese of Puebla and one of the key buildings in the city's UNESCO-listed historic center.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
Convent Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Puebla
An early 17th-century example of Puebla Baroque, the Church of the Virgin of Carmen has two richly decorated chapels and a neoclassical altarpiece holding an image of the Virgin by sculptor José Antonio Villegas Cora.
More drives to Chipilo
- Apizaco to Chipilo
- Calpulalpan to Chipilo
- Pachuca to Chipilo
- Cuernavaca to Chipilo
- Tepotzotlán to Chipilo
- Actopan to Chipilo
From Metepec to other places in Mexico
- Metepec to Valle de Bravo
- Metepec to El Oro
- Metepec to Ezequiel Montes
- Metepec to Zimapán
- Metepec to Tócuaro
- Metepec to Cotija
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Metepec to Chipilo?
About 2 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 121 miles.
How far is Chipilo from Metepec by car?
About 121 miles (195 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 Metepec to Chipilo?
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 Metepec to Chipilo?
The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Metepec to Chipilo use?
In order: MEX-15, MEX-15D, Viaducto and MEX-150D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Metepec and Chipilo?
Closest to the road: Museo de Historia Natural (museum, mile 34, 0.2 mi from the route); Galería de Arte Mexicano (art gallery, mile 34, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo Cabeza de Juárez (museum, mile 45, 0.2 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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.