Pachuca to Ixtenco Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Pachuca to Ixtenco is 98 miles (158 km), about 1 h 59 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Tlaxcala is the Mexican state that contains Ixtenco. See the full advisory for current details.
Church and former convent of Todos los SantosAqueduct of Padre TemblequeTeotihuacanParque nacional XicoténcatlEx Convento de Santa María de la Concepción AtlihuetziaBasílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, ApizacoPachucaIxtenco
Route from Pachuca to Ixtenco with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance98 mi (158 km)
Driving time, no stops1 h 59 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-88 → MEX-132 → MEX-M40D → MEX-136
Mexican states on the routeHidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 3.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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 Pachuca to Ixtenco is like

MEX-136 (48 mi) and MEX-M40D (27 mi) carry about 77% of the 98 miles. MEX-M40D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-88, MEX-132, MEX-136 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Pachuca to Ixtenco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Hidalgo
MEX-882–1816Hidalgo
MEX-13218–224Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-M40D22–4927State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala
connecting roads49–501Tlaxcala
MEX-13650–9848Tlaxcala
  • Mile 21 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 34 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 41 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Pachuca and Ixtenco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Church and former convent of Todos los Santos (mile 16)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 73)
  • Museums and history: Teotihuacan (mile 22), Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco (mile 78)

Church and former convent of Todos los Santos

Mile 16 · Convent · 0.6 mi from the route

Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque

Mile 21 · Aqueduct · 2 mi from the route

Built by Franciscan friar Francisco de Tembleque between 1554 and 1572, this 16th-century water system runs more than 48 km between Zempoala and Otumba. Its tallest arcade at Tepeyahualco reaches almost 40 meters, and UNESCO listed it in 2015.

Teotihuacan

Mile 22 · 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.

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 73 · National Park of Mexico · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.

Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia

Mile 75 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The ruined walls of this 16th-century Franciscan convent in Atlihuetzia rise as high as 21 meters beside the 17th-century Purísima Concepción church. The site also holds a sanctuary to Cristóbal, honored as the first Catholic child martyr in the Americas.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de las Misericordias, Apizaco

Mile 78 · Basilica · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the city of Apizaco, this Catholic basilica (Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia) was begun in the third decade of the 20th century and completed in 1961.

When you get to Ixtenco

Museo Nacional del Títere

Museum · in Ixtenco

On the main square of Huamantla, the National Puppet Museum (Museo Nacional del Títere) fills eight galleries with puppets from Mexico and abroad, including pieces tied to the Rosete Aranda family, whose company toured Mexico for generations.

More drives to Ixtenco

From Pachuca to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Pachuca to Ixtenco?

About 1 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 98 miles.

How far is Ixtenco from Pachuca by car?

About 98 miles (158 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 Pachuca to Ixtenco?

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 Pachuca to Ixtenco?

The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Pachuca to Ixtenco use?

In order: MEX-88, MEX-132, MEX-M40D and MEX-136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Pachuca and Ixtenco?

Closest to the road: Church and former convent of Todos los Santos (convent, mile 16, 0.6 mi from the route); Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque (aqueduct, mile 21, 2 mi from the route); Ex Convento de Santa María de la Concepción Atlihuetzia (convent, mile 75, 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.