Orizaba to Jalpa Road Trip: Stops, Tolls & Drive Time

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Orizaba to Jalpa is 523 miles (841 km), about 8 h 49 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Zacatecas is the Mexican state that contains Jalpa. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Cañón del Río Blanco National ParkTeatro PrincipalCasa del DeánTeotihuacanTula National ParkEl Cimatario National ParkCerro de las CampanasMuseo DescubreMuseo Regional de AguascalientesOrizabaJalpa
Route from Orizaba to Jalpa with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance523 mi (841 km)
Driving time, no stops8 h 49 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-70
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Zacatecas (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 20.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 insuranceRequired 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 Orizaba to Jalpa is like

MEX-45D (141 mi) and MEX-150D (108 mi) carry about 48% of the 523 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-70 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 10 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Orizaba to Jalpa, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33Veracruz
MEX-150D3–111108Veracruz, Puebla
connecting roads111–1121Puebla
MEX-M40D112–217105Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads217–2192Hidalgo
MEX-57D219–25435State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D254–30753Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D307–448141Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-45448–46416Jalisco, Aguascalientes
local roads464–4706Aguascalientes
MEX-70470–52151Aguascalientes, Zacatecas
local roads521–5232Zacatecas
  • Mile 23 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 116 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 139 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 147 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 160 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 176 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 190 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 219 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 252 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 294 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 404 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 452 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 505 of this route: Aguascalientes → Zacatecas (state line)

Stops between Orizaba and Jalpa

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 9), Museo Descubre (mile 464)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 9), Tula National Park (mile 207), El Cimatario National Park (mile 290), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 295)
  • Museums and history: Casa del Deán (mile 92), Teotihuacan (mile 158), Museo Descubre (mile 464), Museo Regional de Aguascalientes (mile 465)

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 9 · National Park of Mexico · 0.6 mi from the route

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.

Teatro Principal

Mile 91 · Theatre building · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Teatro Principal is a historic theater in the city of Puebla that is still active as a stage for performances.

Casa del Deán

Mile 92 · Historic house museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built in 1563 for Tomás de la Plaza y Goes, dean of Puebla Cathedral, the Casa del Deán is a historic house in Puebla that takes its name from his post.

Teotihuacan

Mile 158 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

Tula National Park

Mile 207 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

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.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 290 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 295 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Museo Descubre

Mile 464 · Museum · 0.8 mi from the route

Museo Descubre is a hands-on, interactive museum in the city of Aguascalientes whose spiral-shaped interior leads inward along various paths of knowledge.

Museo Regional de Aguascalientes

Mile 465 · History museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

An early 20th-century building by self-taught architect Refugio Reyes holds this INAH museum of Aguascalientes history, with fossils, archaeological finds, colonial paintings by Juan Correa and more than 300 devotional ex-voto paintings.

When you get to Jalpa

Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes

Museum · in Jalpa

The Museo Comunitario Profr. Arturo Reyes Viramontes is a community museum in the municipality of Jalpa, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, named for teacher Arturo Reyes Viramontes.

More drives to Jalpa

From Orizaba to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Orizaba to Jalpa?

About 8 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 523 miles.

How far is Jalpa from Orizaba by car?

About 523 miles (841 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 Orizaba to Jalpa?

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 Orizaba to Jalpa?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Orizaba to Jalpa use?

In order: MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45 and MEX-70. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Orizaba and Jalpa?

Closest to the road: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 9, 0.6 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 207, 1 mi from the route); Museo Descubre (museum, mile 464, 0.8 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.