By road, Mineral de Pozos and Chacala are about 391 miles (630 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 20 min of driving.
| Total distance | 391 mi (630 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | GTO 100 → MEX-110 → MEX-51 → MEX-110D → MEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-80 → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-70D → MEX-200D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-110D, MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 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.
The Mineral de Pozos–Chacala drive in a few lines
MEX-80D (86 mi) and MEX-15D (77 mi) carry about 42% of the 391 miles. It runs through 3 states: Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-110D, MEX-45D and MEX-80D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Mineral de Pozos and Chacala
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTO 100 | 0–6 | 6 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-110 | 6–32 | 26 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-51 | 32–36 | 4 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-110 | 36–73 | 37 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-110D | 73–82 | 9 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45 | 82–95 | 13 | Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 95–96 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 96–132 | 36 | Guanajuato, Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 132–133 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80 | 133–147 | 14 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 147–233 | 86 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 233–245 | 12 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 245–254 | 9 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 254–319 | 65 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| local roads | 319–354 | 35 | Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 354–372 | 18 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200D | 372–377 | 5 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200 | 377–386 | 9 | Nayarit |
| local roads | 386–391 | 5 | Nayarit |
- Mile 116 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 303 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Mineral de Pozos and Chacala
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo (mile 36), Basílica Colegiata de Guanajuato (mile 70), Museo Regional de Guanajuato Alhóndiga de Granaditas (mile 70), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 313)
- Nature and outdoors: Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 377)
- Museums and history: Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo (mile 36), Basílica Colegiata de Guanajuato (mile 70), Museo Regional de Guanajuato Alhóndiga de Granaditas (mile 70), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 153), Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara (mile 237), Guachimontones (mile 268), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 313)
Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo
Built in 1779, the Casa de Hidalgo in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, is also known as the Museo Histórico Curato de Dolores.
Basílica Colegiata de Guanajuato
On Guanajuato's Plaza de la Paz, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato stands opposite the plaque marking the city center as a World Heritage Site.
Museo Regional de Guanajuato Alhóndiga de Granaditas
Built between 1796 and 1809 to plans by José Alejandro Durán y Villaseñor, the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato is home to the Museo Regional de Guanajuato.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos
Pilgrims come from far and wide to San Juan de los Lagos to see the small image of the Virgin kept in this cathedral basilica, built between 1732 and 1769. Inside are Gothic-style ribbed vaults and a silver-framed Way of the Cross.
Museum of Paleontology of Guadalajara
Fossils are the focus at Guadalajara's Museum of Paleontology, which opened in 2000 inside Parque Agua Azul with exhibits developed alongside INAH, Mexico's national anthropology and history institute.
Diana Theatre
The Diana Theatre, or Teatro Diana, is an indoor theater in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, with seating for 2,345 people.
Guachimontones
About 40 circular buildings and two ball courts spread over 20 hectares at Guachimontones, outside Teuchitlán. INAH calls it western Mexico's first large population center, dating back to around 1000 BC.
Ixtlán del Rio
Between roughly 300 BC and AD 600, people made their home at Los Toriles in Ixtlán del Río. Today visitors come for its circular temple, a rare design in Mesoamerica.
Rincón de Guayabitos
Rincón de Guayabitos is a beach town in Compostela, Nayarit, with about two kilometers of shore known for gentle waves, a popular getaway from Tepic and Guadalajara.
More drives to Chacala
- Tequila to Chacala
- Amatitán to Chacala
- El Rosario, Sinaloa to Chacala
- Tepatitlán to Chacala
- Mazatlán to Chacala
- Nochistlán to Chacala
From Mineral de Pozos to other places in Mexico
- Mineral de Pozos to Temacapulín
- Mineral de Pozos to Tócuaro
- Mineral de Pozos to Pacanda
- Mineral de Pozos to Omitlán
- Mineral de Pozos to Huasca de Ocampo
- Mineral de Pozos to Ixcateopan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mineral de Pozos to Chacala?
About 7 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 391 miles.
What is the driving distance from Mineral de Pozos to Chacala?
About 391 miles (630 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 Mineral de Pozos to Chacala?
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 Mineral de Pozos to Chacala?
The U.S. State Department rates Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Mineral de Pozos to Chacala?
In order: GTO 100, MEX-110, MEX-51, MEX-110D, MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-80, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-70D, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Mineral de Pozos to Chacala?
Closest to the road: Miguel Hidalgo House, Dolores Hidalgo (museum, mile 36, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Regional de Guanajuato Alhóndiga de Granaditas (museum, mile 70, 0.2 mi from the route); Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 313, 0.5 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.