The Wayro route from Mexico City to Jalpa de Cánovas is 258 miles (416 km), about 4 h 48 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 258 mi (416 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 48 min |
| Main roads, in order | Viaducto → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → GTO 87-0 → GTO 37 |
| 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 10.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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 Jalpa de Cánovas is like
MEX-45D (86 mi) and MEX-57 (70 mi) carry about 60% of the 258 miles. MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 5 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato. Of the 7 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Jalpa de Cánovas, 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 | 148–234 | 86 | Guanajuato |
| GTO 87-0 | 234–247 | 13 | Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 247–250 | 3 | Guanajuato |
| GTO 37 | 250–258 | 8 | 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 Jalpa de Cánovas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Torres de Satélite (mile 14), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 47)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 136)
- Museums and history: Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Tlalnepantla Cathedral (mile 17), Cristo Rey (mile 19), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26)
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.
Torres de Satélite
The Torres de Satélite are giant sculptures in Ciudad Satélite, Naucalpan, conceived from 1957 by architect Luis Barragán, painter Jesús Reyes Ferreira and sculptor Mathias Goeritz.
Tlalnepantla Cathedral
Consecrated on August 23, 1964, Tlalnepantla's Corpus Christi Cathedral stands where Franciscans founded the Convent of San Francisco in 1525.
Cristo Rey
Begun in 1975 and inaugurated in 1981, this colossal Cristo Rey statue stands on Cerro Cola de Caballo in the Sierra de Guadalupe, within the Jardines del Recuerdo cemetery in Tlalnepantla.
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.
More drives to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Real de Asientos to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Amatitán to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Zacatecas to Jalpa de Cánovas
- Jerez, Zacatecas to Jalpa de Cánovas
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 Jalpa de Cánovas?
About 4 h 48 min of driving without stops, over 258 miles.
How far is Jalpa de Cánovas from Mexico City by car?
About 258 miles (416 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 Jalpa de Cánovas?
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 Jalpa de Cánovas?
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 Jalpa de Cánovas use?
In order: Viaducto, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, GTO 87-0 and GTO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Jalpa de Cánovas?
Closest to the road: Torres de Satélite (sculpture, mile 14, 0.1 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.