The Wayro route from Mexico City to Santa Fe de la Laguna is 221 miles (355 km), about 3 h 56 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 221 mi (355 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 56 min |
| Main roads, in order | Viaducto → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-15 |
| Mexican states on the route | Mexico City (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.8 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 Santa Fe de la Laguna is like
MEX-15D (90 mi) and MEX-57 (34 mi) carry about 56% of the 221 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Mexico City, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Michoacán. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Mexico City to Santa Fe de la Laguna, 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 | 24–58 | 34 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 58–60 | 2 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 60–93 | 33 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 93–183 | 90 | State of Mexico, Michoacán |
| MEX-37D | 183–204 | 21 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 204–221 | 17 | Michoacán |
- Mile 9 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 41 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 62 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 111 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
Stops between Mexico City and Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Parque Naucalli (mile 13), Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (mile 16)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Naucalli (mile 13), Parque Espejo de los Lirios (mile 26), Tula National Park (mile 56), Rayón National Park (mile 114)
- Museums and history: Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Catedral de Azcapotzalco (mile 11), Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (mile 16), Tenayuca (mile 18)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rayón National Park
Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.
Historic Centre of Morelia
Morelia's old core, founded in the 16th century as Valladolid, keeps more than 200 historic buildings in the region's pink stone around its cathedral and checkerboard streets. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1991.
When you get to Santa Fe de la Laguna
Tzintzuntzan
Once the political and economic capital of the Purépecha empire, governed by a hereditary line of uacúsecha, or 'eagle lords,' Tzintzuntzan preserves its yácatas, temple bases that combine rectangular and semicircular platforms around ritual plazas.
More drives to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Pedro Escobedo to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Amatitán to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Cadereyta to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Tequila to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- Zimapán to Santa Fe de la Laguna
- San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes to Santa Fe de la Laguna
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 Santa Fe de la Laguna?
About 3 h 56 min of driving without stops, over 221 miles.
How far is Santa Fe de la Laguna from Mexico City by car?
About 221 miles (355 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 Santa Fe de la Laguna?
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 Santa Fe de la Laguna?
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; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Mexico City to Santa Fe de la Laguna use?
In order: Viaducto, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Santa Fe de la Laguna?
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); Museo Hacienda de Santa Mónica (museum, mile 16, 0.4 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.