The Wayro route from Mexico City to Querétaro is 135 miles (218 km), about 2 h 37 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 135 mi (218 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | Viaducto → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-57D |
| Mexican states on the route | Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-57D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 5.4 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 Querétaro is like
MEX-57 (70 mi) and MEX-57D (40 mi) carry about 81% of the 135 miles. MEX-57D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-57 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 4 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Querétaro, 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-57D | 94–134 | 40 | Querétaro |
| local roads | 134–135 | 1 | Querétaro |
- 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)
Stops between Mexico City and Querétaro
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Torres de Satélite (mile 14), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26), Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 30), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 47)
- Museums and history: Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Catedral de Azcapotzalco (mile 11), Tenayuca (mile 18), Xólotl Museum (mile 18), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26), Cuautitlán Cathedral (mile 27), Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 30)
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.
Catedral de Azcapotzalco
Officially the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Philip and James, the Catedral de Azcapotzalco is the seat of the Diocese of Azcapotzalco in Mexico City.
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.
Tenayuca
Tenayuca is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the Valley of Mexico. In the Postclassic period it was a settlement on the old western shore of Lake Texcoco.
Xólotl Museum
Run by INAH at the Tenayuca archaeological zone in Tlalnepantla, the Xólotl Museum traces the history of Tenayuca, an early Chichimec settlement in the Basin of Mexico.
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.
Cuautitlán Cathedral
Cuautitlán's St. Bonaventure Cathedral (Catedral de San Buenaventura) is a Catholic church that forms part of the convent of the same name in this State of Mexico municipality.
Museo Nacional del Virreinato
Housed in the former Jesuit college of San Francisco Javier in Tepotzotlán, begun in 1606, this national museum covers three centuries of colonial art. Its Baroque church, built 1670-1682, keeps altarpieces designed by Miguel Cabrera and Higinio de Chávez.
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.
When you get to Querétaro
Santiago de Querétaro is the capital of Querétaro state in central Mexico. Its colonial core still follows its original 16th-century street plan, and its many ornate Baroque buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries earned the Historic Monuments Zone a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. Mexico's Congress ratified the 1848 peace treaty with the United States here.
- Aqueduct of Querétaro: Completed in 1735, the aqueduct runs 1,280 meters on 74 stone arches that reach 28 meters high. source
- Claustro de San Agustín: The former Augustinian cloister is known for its unusual mixtilinear caryatids, which UNESCO singles out among the city's Baroque monuments. source
- Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbo: This Mexican Baroque church is known for the two inverted flying buttresses beside its main entrance. source
Querétaro Cathedral
Querétaro's cathedral, dedicated to St. Philip Neri, is a Catholic church built by the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Santiago de Querétaro.
College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro
Querétaro's College of Santa Cruz was a Franciscan missionary college in New Spain, the second Catholic college in the Americas set up to train missionaries.
More drives to Querétaro
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 Querétaro from the United States? Border crossings, permits and routes from U.S. cities: Driving to Querétaro, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mexico City to Querétaro?
About 2 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 135 miles.
How far is Querétaro from Mexico City by car?
About 135 miles (218 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 Querétaro?
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 Querétaro?
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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Mexico City to Querétaro use?
In order: Viaducto, Periférico, MEX-57 and MEX-57D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Querétaro?
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.