The Wayro route from Mexico City to Celaya is 162 miles (260 km), about 3 h 5 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 162 mi (260 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 5 min |
| Main roads, in order | Viaducto → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 |
| Mexican states on the route | Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 6.5 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.
What the drive from Mexico City to Celaya is like
MEX-57 (70 mi) and MEX-47D (54 mi) carry about 77% of the 162 miles. MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-45 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Celaya, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Mexico City |
| Viaducto | 2–6 | 4 | Mexico City |
| Periférico | 6–24 | 18 | Mexico City, State of Mexico |
| MEX-57 | 24–94 | 70 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro |
| MEX-47D | 94–148 | 54 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 148–152 | 4 | Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 152–153 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45 | 153–160 | 7 | Guanajuato |
| local roads | 160–162 | 2 | Guanajuato |
- Mile 9 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 41 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 60 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 93 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 135 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
Stops between Mexico City and Celaya
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Acuario Inbursa (mile 9), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 47)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Tezozómoc (mile 14), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 136)
- Museums and history: Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Museo Tezozómoc (mile 12), Tlalnepantla Cathedral (mile 17), Santa Cecilia Acatitlan (mile 18), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26)
- With kids: Acuario Inbursa (mile 9)
Museo Soumaya
Museo Soumaya is a private, nonprofit art museum in Mexico City with two buildings, Plaza Loreto and Plaza Carso. Its collection spans pre-Hispanic sculpture, Mexican art and European masters such as Rodin, Dalí and Tintoretto.
Acuario Inbursa
In the Nuevo Polanco area of Mexico City, Acuario Inbursa spreads across about 3,500 square meters of exhibits holding some 1.6 million liters of seawater.
Museo Tezozómoc
Run by the Instituto Politécnico Nacional since 1999, Museo Tezozómoc is an interactive museum about science and technology.
Parque Tezozómoc
A large park in the Azcapotzalco borough, Parque Tezozómoc offers open green space in the northwestern part of Mexico City.
Tlalnepantla Cathedral
Consecrated on August 23, 1964, Tlalnepantla's Corpus Christi Cathedral stands where Franciscans founded the Convent of San Francisco in 1525.
Santa Cecilia Acatitlan
Santa Cecilia Acatitlan is an early Aztec archaeological zone in Tlalnepantla de Baz, about 10 km northwest of Mexico City, once on the shore of Lake Texcoco.
Parque de las Esculturas
Seventeen sculptures by Charlotte Yazbek, first shown at the Mexico Pavilion of the 1964 New York World's Fair, stand in this Cuautitlán Izcalli park. The artist oversaw their installation here in 1976.
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.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
When you get to Celaya
Celaya Cathedral
Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.
More drives to Celaya
- Durango to Celaya
- Mazatlán to Celaya
- Toluca to Celaya
- Puebla to Celaya
- Xalapa to Celaya
- San Luis Potosí to Celaya
From Mexico City to other places in Mexico
- Mexico City to Metepec
- Mexico City to Toluca
- Mexico City to Cuernavaca
- Mexico City to Atlatlahucan
- Mexico City to Malinalco
- Mexico City to Cuautla
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mexico City to Celaya?
About 3 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 162 miles.
How far is Celaya from Mexico City by car?
About 162 miles (260 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 Mexico City to Celaya?
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 Mexico City to Celaya?
The U.S. State Department rates Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Mexico City to Celaya use?
In order: Viaducto, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-47D, MEX-45D and MEX-45. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Celaya?
Closest to the road: Acuario Inbursa (public aquarium, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Parque de las Esculturas (open-air museum, mile 26, 0.6 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 47, 0.6 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.