The Wayro route from Mexico City to Tzintzuntzan is 223 miles (359 km), about 3 h 59 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 223 mi (359 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 59 min |
| Main roads, in order | Viaducto → Periférico → MEX-57 → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-37D → MEX-15 → MEX-120 |
| 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 8.9 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 Tzintzuntzan is like
MEX-15D (90 mi) and MEX-57 (34 mi) carry about 56% of the 223 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-57, MEX-15, MEX-120 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 Tzintzuntzan, 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 | 204–218 | 14 | Michoacán |
| MEX-120 | 218–223 | 5 | 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 Tzintzuntzan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Acuario Inbursa (mile 9), Torres de Satélite (mile 14)
- Nature and outdoors: Tula National Park (mile 56), Rayón National Park (mile 114)
- Museums and history: Museo Soumaya (mile 9), Museo Tezozómoc (mile 12), Santa Cecilia Acatitlan (mile 18), Cristo Rey (mile 19)
- With kids: Acuario Inbursa (mile 9)
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.
Acuario Inbursa
In the Nuevo Polanco area of Mexico City, Acuario Inbursa spreads across about 3,500 square meters of exhibits holding some 1.6 million liters of seawater.
Museo Tezozómoc
Run by the Instituto Politécnico Nacional since 1999, Museo Tezozómoc is an interactive museum about science and technology.
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.
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.
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.
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 Tzintzuntzan
Lake Pátzcuaro
Boats leave the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro for its islands, including Janitzio, topped by a statue of José María Morelos. Purépecha fishers here are known for butterfly-shaped nets, and whitefish is the local specialty.
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.
Ihuatzio
On the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro, Ihuatzio was one of three main Purépecha power centers. Visitors can see raised walkways and two semicircular pyramids called yácatas; excavations here also turned up Chac Mool and coyote sculptures carved from volcanic rock.
More drives to Tzintzuntzan
- Tequila to Tzintzuntzan
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Tzintzuntzan
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Tzintzuntzan
- Zacatecas to Tzintzuntzan
- Jerez, Zacatecas to Tzintzuntzan
- Sombrerete to Tzintzuntzan
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 Tzintzuntzan?
About 3 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 223 miles.
How far is Tzintzuntzan from Mexico City by car?
About 223 miles (359 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 Tzintzuntzan?
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 Tzintzuntzan?
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 Tzintzuntzan use?
In order: Viaducto, Periférico, MEX-57, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-37D, MEX-15 and MEX-120. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Mexico City and Tzintzuntzan?
Closest to the road: Acuario Inbursa (public aquarium, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo Soumaya (museum network, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Torres de Satélite (sculpture, mile 14, 0.1 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.