Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 12 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla is 158 miles (255 km), about 4 h 43 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; San Luis Potosí — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. San Luis Potosí is the Mexican state that contains Xilitla. See the full advisory for current details.
Cerro de las CampanasEl Cimatario National ParkSantiago de Jalpan missionTancamaSanta María del Agua de Landa missionSan Francisco del Valle de Tilaco missionPedro EscobedoXilitla
Route from Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance158 mi (255 km)
Drive time without stops4 h 43 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-57D → QRO 4 → QRO 100 → MEX-120
Mexican states on the routeQuerétaro, San Luis Potosí
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 6.3 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.

How the Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla drive plays out

MEX-120 (105 mi) and QRO 100 (22 mi) carry about 80% of the 158 miles. It runs through 2 states: Querétaro, San Luis Potosí. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla: the road sequence

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Querétaro
MEX-57D1–76Querétaro
QRO 47–2619Querétaro
QRO 10026–359Querétaro
local roads35–405Querétaro
QRO 10040–5313Querétaro
MEX-12053–158105Querétaro, San Luis Potosí
  • Mile 144 of this route: Querétaro → San Luis Potosí (state line)

Breaking up the drive: stops between Pedro Escobedo and Xilitla

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santiago de Jalpan mission (mile 108), Tancama (mile 114)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 7), El Cimatario National Park (mile 7)
  • Museums and history: Santiago de Jalpan mission (mile 108), Tancama (mile 114), Santa María del Agua de Landa mission (mile 119), San Francisco del Valle de Tilaco mission (mile 137)

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 7 · National park · 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.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 7 · National park · 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.

Santiago de Jalpan mission

Mile 108 · Mission · 0.7 mi from the route

Built between 1751 and 1758 under Franciscan friar Junípero Serra, the Misión de Santiago de Jalpan is one of five Franciscan missions raised in Querétaro's Sierra Gorda.

Tancama

Mile 114 · Archaeological site · 0.4 mi from the route

Tancama is an archaeological site in Querétaro whose Huastec name means 'hill of fire,' a key place for understanding the Huastec culture.

Santa María del Agua de Landa mission

Mile 119 · Mission · 1 mi from the route

Built by Franciscans in the 18th century, the Mission of Santa María del Agua de Landa in Landa de Matamoros is an architectural complex in the churrigueresque style.

San Francisco del Valle de Tilaco mission

Mile 137 · Mission · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In Landa de Matamoros, the Misión de San Francisco de Asís del Valle de Tilaco has a Baroque facade, one of the last works in that style built in New Spain, and is a key monument of the Sierra Gorda.

Arriving in Xilitla

Las Pozas

Sculpture garden · in Xilitla

Created by Edward James in the Sierra Gorda, Las Pozas is a surrealist sculpture garden where concrete structures stand among waterfalls and pools in subtropical forest.

More drives to Xilitla

From Pedro Escobedo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla?

About 4 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 158 miles.

How far is Xilitla from Pedro Escobedo by car?

About 158 miles (255 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 Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla?

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 Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla?

The U.S. State Department rates Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Pedro Escobedo to Xilitla use?

In order: MEX-57D, QRO 4, QRO 100 and MEX-120. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Pedro Escobedo and Xilitla?

Closest to the road: Santiago de Jalpan mission (mission, mile 108, 0.7 mi from the route); Tancama (archaeological site, mile 114, 0.4 mi from the route); Santa María del Agua de Landa mission (mission, mile 119, 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.