The Wayro route from Mexico City to San Juan del Río is 104 miles (168 km), about 2 h 10 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 104 mi (168 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 10 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 4.2 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 San Juan del Río is like
MEX-57 (70 mi) and Periférico (18 mi) carry about 85% of the 104 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 San Juan del Río, 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 | 94–103 | 9 | Querétaro |
| local roads | 103–104 | 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 San Juan del Río
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Colección Jumex (mile 9), Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (mile 16), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26), Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 30), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 47)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Espejo de los Lirios (mile 26), Tula National Park (mile 56)
- Museums and history: Colección Jumex (mile 9), Catedral de Azcapotzalco (mile 11), Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (mile 16), Tlalnepantla Cathedral (mile 17), Parque de las Esculturas (mile 26), Museo Nacional del Virreinato (mile 30)
Colección Jumex
Colección Jumex, a private contemporary art collection owned by Eugenio López Alonso, is shown at Museo Jumex in Mexico City's Polanco neighborhood.
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.
Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica
Part of the Antonio Haghenbeck Cultural Foundation, the Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica is a museum in the municipality of Tlalnepantla de Baz, State of Mexico.
Tlalnepantla Cathedral
Consecrated on August 23, 1964, Tlalnepantla's Corpus Christi Cathedral stands where Franciscans founded the Convent of San Francisco in 1525.
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.
Parque Espejo de los Lirios
Espejo de los Lirios is a lake park in Cuautitlán Izcalli, opened as a park in 1973 and declared a protected natural area in 2009 along with the city's Central Park.
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.
Tula National Park
This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.
More drives to San Juan del Río
- Celaya to San Juan del Río
- Salamanca to San Juan del Río
- Irapuato to San Juan del Río
- León to San Juan del Río
- Uruapan to San Juan del Río
- Durango to San Juan del Río
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 San Juan del Río?
About 2 h 10 min of driving without stops, over 104 miles.
How far is San Juan del Río from Mexico City by car?
About 104 miles (168 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 San Juan del Río?
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 San Juan del Río?
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 San Juan del Río 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 San Juan del Río?
Closest to the road: Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (museum, mile 16, 0.4 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.