The Wayro route from Mexico City to Durango is 556 miles (895 km), about 10 h 26 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 556 mi (895 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 26 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), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4), Durango (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.3 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.
What the drive from Mexico City to Durango is like
MEX-45 (205 mi) and MEX-45D (196 mi) carry about 72% of the 556 miles. MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-45 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Durango. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Durango, 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 | 148–289 | 141 | Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| MEX-45 | 289–319 | 30 | Jalisco, Aguascalientes |
| local roads | 319–322 | 3 | Aguascalientes |
| MEX-45 | 322–350 | 28 | Aguascalientes, Zacatecas |
| MEX-45D | 350–385 | 35 | Zacatecas |
| connecting roads | 385–386 | 1 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45 | 386–392 | 6 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45D | 392–400 | 8 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45 | 400–408 | 8 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45D | 408–420 | 12 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-45 | 420–553 | 133 | Zacatecas, Durango |
| local roads | 553–556 | 3 | Durango |
- 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)
- Mile 245 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 293 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
- Mile 346 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)
- Mile 498 of this route: Zacatecas → Durango (state line)
Stops between Mexico City and Durango
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Parque Naucalli (mile 13), Museum of Contemporary Art (mile 307)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Naucalli (mile 13), Parque Tezozómoc (mile 14), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 136), Jardín Botánico Rey Netzahualcoyotl (mile 309), Sierra de Órganos National Park (mile 490)
- Museums and history: Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Santa Cecilia Acatitlan (mile 18), Museum of Contemporary Art (mile 307)
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.
Parque Naucalli
Parque Naucalli is a park just outside Mexico City, in the municipality of Naucalpan de Juárez, where planning for the park began in 1975.
Parque Tezozómoc
A large park in the Azcapotzalco borough, Parque Tezozómoc offers open green space in the northwestern part of Mexico City.
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.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Aguascalientes' Museum of Contemporary Art shows works by contemporary Mexican artists in its Jesús F. Contreras gallery.
Jardín Botánico Rey Netzahualcoyotl
The Jardín Botánico Rey Nezahualcóyotl is a botanical garden that falls under the administration of the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes.
Historic centre of Zacatecas
Founded in 1546 after a rich silver strike, Zacatecas climbs the steep sides of a narrow valley; its UNESCO-listed center holds an 18th-century Baroque cathedral, colonial convents, the Calderón Theater and the old González Market.
Sierra de Órganos National Park
Volcanic activity and erosion shaped the 20- to 60-meter rock spires of Sierra de Órganos, a national park near Sombrerete created in 2000. Western movies have been filmed here, and visitors hike marked trails, mountain bike and camp.
When you get to Durango
Victoria de Durango, capital of Durango state, sits in a high valley on the eastern side of the Sierra Madre Occidental in north-central Mexico. Its historic center is known for pink sandstone facades, iron balconies and Baroque, Churrigueresque and Neoclassical buildings clustered around the Cathedral Basilica.
- Catedral Basílica: The cathedral anchors the historic center, where Visit Mexico notes the region's largest collection of Baroque monuments. source
- Museo Francisco Villa: The revolutionary leader's museum occupies the Palacio de Zambrano in the historic center. source
- Teleférico de Durango: The cable car links Barrio del Calvario with Cerro de los Remedios, running more than 2,400 feet at up to 270 feet above the streets. source
Cathedral Basilica of Durango
Facing the Plaza de Armas in Durango's historic center, this basilica cathedral is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durango.
Ganot-Peschard Museum of Archeology
In downtown Durango, this archaeology museum works to preserve the Indigenous history of northern Mexico.
Museo Regional de Durango Ángel Rodríguez Solórzano
The Museo Regional de Durango fills a French-style 19th-century mansion in the city of Durango, with rooms tracing how the region developed over time.
More drives to Durango
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
Coming to Durango from the United States? Border crossings, permits and routes from U.S. cities: Driving to Durango, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mexico City to Durango?
About 10 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 556 miles.
How far is Durango from Mexico City by car?
About 556 miles (895 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 Durango?
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 Durango?
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; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Durango 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 Durango 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 Durango?
Closest to the road: Museo Soumaya (museum network, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Parque Naucalli (park, mile 13, 0.2 mi from the route); Museum of Contemporary Art (art museum, mile 307, 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.