Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala is 277 miles (445 km), about 4 h 55 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Colima is the Mexican state that contains Comala. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Centro de Artes VisualesCathedral Basilica of San Juan de los LagosBasílica de San Felipe NeriPanteón de BelénEl IxtépeteCiudad Guzmán CathedralMuseo Arqueológico de Ciudad GuzmánVolcán Nevado de Colima National ParkPabellón de ArteagaComala
Route from Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance277 mi (445 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 55 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45 → MEX-45D → MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54
Mexican states on the routeAguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 11.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala is like

MEX-54D (89 mi) and MEX-80D (85 mi) carry about 63% of the 277 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-15, MEX-54 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Colima. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Aguascalientes
MEX-451–54Aguascalientes
local roads5–94Aguascalientes
MEX-459–3930Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D39–5213Jalisco
local roads52–6311Jalisco
connecting roads63–652Jalisco
MEX-80D65–15085Jalisco
MEX-15D150–1566Jalisco
local roads156–1604Jalisco
MEX-15160–17717Jalisco
MEX-54D177–26689Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54266–2704Colima
local roads270–2777Colima
  • Mile 35 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 257 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

Stops between Pabellón de Arteaga and Comala

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Centro de Artes Visuales (mile 20)
  • Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 253)
  • Museums and history: Centro de Artes Visuales (mile 20), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 70), Basílica de San Felipe Neri (mile 155), Panteón de Belén (mile 155), El Ixtépete (mile 160), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 232), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 232)

Centro de Artes Visuales

Mile 20 · Art museum · 0.3 mi from the route

Run by the Instituto Cultural de Aguascalientes, the Centro de Artes Visuales is an arts education center in the city of Aguascalientes with its own exhibition space for visual art.

Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos

Mile 70 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Basílica de San Felipe Neri

Mile 155 · Minor basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Guadalajara's Basilica of San Felipe Neri is a Catholic church built in baroque style between 1752 and 1802 by master builder Pedro José Ciprés.

Panteón de Belén

Mile 155 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

A historic cemetery in Guadalajara, Panteón de Belén is known for its legends and offers night tours.

El Ixtépete

Mile 160 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Zapopan's El Ixtépete preserves a pyramid built around AD 650-750, during the Grillo tradition, with at least seven superimposed construction phases; the site lies within the Guadalajara metro area near the Periférico and Avenida Mariano Otero.

Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral

Mile 232 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.

Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán

Mile 232 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in the 1950s with writer Juan José Arreola among its promoters, this INAH museum in Ciudad Guzmán shows stone and ceramic pieces from western Mexico, colonial-era religious art and sketches by muralist José Clemente Orozco.

Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park

Mile 253 · National Park of Mexico · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This national park in western Mexico protects the upper slopes of two volcanic peaks, Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima, in the states of Jalisco and Colima.

When you get to Comala

Museo Universitario Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo

Museum · in Comala

Founded in 1996 in the village of Nogueras, in Comala, this university museum honors painter Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo and forms part of the Nogueras cultural complex.

El Chanal

Archaeological site · in Comala

North of Colima city, this Postclassic settlement straddles the Colima River. Its ceremonial core holds temples, palaces, altars and a ballcourt, and digs revealed copper, silver and gold metalwork along with pottery and obsidian tools.

More drives to Comala

From Pabellón de Arteaga to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala?

About 4 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 277 miles.

How far is Comala from Pabellón de Arteaga by car?

About 277 miles (445 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 Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala?

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 Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala?

The U.S. State Department rates Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Pabellón de Arteaga to Comala use?

In order: MEX-45, MEX-45D, MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-54D and MEX-54. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Pabellón de Arteaga and Comala?

Closest to the road: Centro de Artes Visuales (art museum, mile 20, 0.3 mi from the route); Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (minor basilica, mile 70, 2 mi from the route); El Ixtépete (archaeological site, mile 160, 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.