Monterrey to Chihuahua is about 501 road miles (807 km): roughly 8 h 57 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
What the State Department tells travelers on this route:
- Nuevo León: “Those traveling between the U.S. border and Monterrey on highways 85/85D, 54, and 40/40D should exercise caution and avoid travel after dark.”
- Nuevo León: “Armed robberies and carjackings have occurred along these highways even during daylight hours.”
| Distance by road | 501 mi (807 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 57 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-40D → MEX-40 → MEX-49 → MEX-49D → MEX-45D → CHIH 187 → MEX-45 |
| Mexican states on the route | Nuevo León, Coahuila, Durango, Chihuahua |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-40D, MEX-49D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 3 |
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 Monterrey–Chihuahua drive in a few lines
MEX-40D (144 mi) and MEX-49D (121 mi) carry about 53% of the 501 miles. It runs through 4 states: Nuevo León, Coahuila, Durango, Chihuahua. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-40D, MEX-49D and MEX-45D. None of the 3 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Monterrey to Chihuahua, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Nuevo León |
| MEX-40D | 7–56 | 49 | Nuevo León, Coahuila |
| connecting roads | 56–57 | 1 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40 | 57–71 | 14 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40D | 71–119 | 48 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40 | 119–172 | 53 | Coahuila |
| MEX-40D | 172–219 | 47 | Coahuila, Durango |
| MEX-49 | 219–237 | 18 | Durango |
| MEX-49D | 237–358 | 121 | Durango, Chihuahua |
| MEX-49 | 358–362 | 4 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-45D | 362–403 | 41 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 403–405 | 2 | Chihuahua |
| CHIH 187 | 405–408 | 3 | Chihuahua |
| connecting roads | 408–409 | 1 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-45D | 409–447 | 38 | Chihuahua |
| MEX-45 | 447–496 | 49 | Chihuahua |
| local roads | 496–501 | 5 | Chihuahua |
- Mile 31 of this route: Nuevo León → Coahuila (state line)
- Mile 209 of this route: Coahuila → Durango (state line)
- Mile 311 of this route: Durango → Chihuahua (state line)
Stops between Monterrey and Chihuahua
Cerro La Mota
Cerro La Mota, also called Sierra Nacataz, covers about 9,400 hectares of mountains in García and Santa Catarina, with other protected ranges all around it.
Museo del Desierto Chihuahuense
Opened in 2010 in Delicias, the Museo del Desierto Chihuahuense (Mudech) has four permanent halls on the geology, plants, and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert, including Velafrons coahuilensis.
Museo de Paleontología de Delicias
Founded with INAH support in 1982, the Museo de Paleontología de Delicias displays seven dinosaur skeletons, a mammoth, and a gray whale, plus fossil snails, fish, and plants.
When you get to Chihuahua
Silver strikes at nearby Santa Eulalia in 1704 led to the founding of Chihuahua in 1709, where the Chuvíscar and Sacramento rivers meet on the high plains of the north. Today the state capital's historic center gathers around a Baroque cathedral built from 1725 to 1826, with mansions and museums tied to the Mexican Revolution a few blocks away.
- Catedral de Chihuahua: Facing the Plaza de Armas, the Baroque cathedral took more than a century to build, and a museum of sacred art occupies a basement behind it. source
- Palacio de Gobierno: Murals trace Chihuahua's history from colonial times to the Revolution, and the building marks the spot where Father Miguel Hidalgo was executed. source
- Museo Casa de Villa: Pancho Villa's former home preserves his belongings, including the car in which he was assassinated in Hidalgo del Parral. source
Museo Casa Redonda de Chihuahua
Casa Redonda is a contemporary art museum in the city of Chihuahua, also known as the Museo Chihuahuense de Arte Contemporáneo.
Cathedral of Chihuahua
Construction on this Baroque cathedral began in 1725 and stretched over more than a century. It anchors the Plaza de Armas in downtown Chihuahua, and a museum of sacred art occupies its basement.
Museo Casa Juárez
In downtown Chihuahua, the Museo Casa de Juárez occupies the house where President Benito Juárez and Margarita Maza lived when the city served as the seat of the federal government in 1864; it now holds permanent and temporary exhibitions.
More drives to Chihuahua
- Alamogordo, NM to Chihuahua
- Safford, AZ to Chihuahua
- Socorro, NM to Chihuahua
- San Angelo, TX to Chihuahua
- Portales, NM to Chihuahua
- Nogales, AZ to Chihuahua
From Monterrey to other places in Mexico
- Monterrey to Ciudad Victoria
- Monterrey to Ciudad Tula
- Monterrey to Jerez, Zacatecas
- Monterrey to Ciudad Valles
- Monterrey to Aguascalientes
- Monterrey to Jalpa
Coming to Chihuahua from the United States? Border crossings, permits and routes from U.S. cities: Driving to Chihuahua, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Monterrey to Chihuahua?
About 8 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 501 miles.
How far is Chihuahua from Monterrey by car?
About 501 miles (807 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 Monterrey to Chihuahua?
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 Monterrey to Chihuahua?
The U.S. State Department rates Nuevo León Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Coahuila Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Durango Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Chihuahua Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Monterrey to Chihuahua use?
In order: MEX-40D, MEX-40, MEX-49, MEX-49D, MEX-45D, CHIH 187 and MEX-45. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Monterrey and Chihuahua?
Closest to the road: Cerro La Mota (nature area, mile 22, 4 mi from the route); Museo del Desierto Chihuahuense (museum, mile 446, 3 mi from the route); Museo de Paleontología de Delicias (museum, mile 447, 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 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.