The Wayro route from Pinal de Amoles to San Francisco is 463 miles (745 km), about 8 h 52 min of driving without stops.
| Distance by road | 463 mi (745 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-120 → QRO 100 → QRO 4 → MEX-57D → MEX-45D → MEX-90 → MEX-90D → MEX-110 → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-70D → MEX-200D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Pinal de Amoles–San Francisco drive in a few lines
MEX-15D (142 mi) and MEX-45D (65 mi) carry about 45% of the 463 miles. It runs through 5 states: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-57D, MEX-45D and MEX-90D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Pinal de Amoles and San Francisco
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-120 | 0–29 | 29 | Querétaro |
| QRO 100 | 29–57 | 28 | Querétaro |
| QRO 4 | 57–76 | 19 | Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 76–77 | 1 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 77–89 | 12 | Querétaro |
| MEX-45D | 89–154 | 65 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| connecting roads | 154–155 | 1 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-90 | 155–200 | 45 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-90D | 200–213 | 13 | Guanajuato, Michoacán |
| MEX-110 | 213–235 | 22 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15D | 235–311 | 76 | Michoacán, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 311–319 | 8 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 319–385 | 66 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| local roads | 385–419 | 34 | Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 419–437 | 18 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200D | 437–452 | 15 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200 | 452–462 | 10 | Nayarit |
| local roads | 462–463 | 1 | Nayarit |
- Mile 96 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 212 of this route: Guanajuato → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 240 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 368 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Pinal de Amoles and San Francisco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara (mile 306), Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (mile 309), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 378)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (mile 309), Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 447)
- Museums and history: Teatro de la República (mile 88), Museo Regional de Querétaro (mile 88), Irapuato Cathedral (mile 152), Plazuelas (mile 192), Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas (mile 304), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 378)
Teatro de la República
Originally named Teatro Iturbide, the Teatro de la República stands in Querétaro's historic center. The neoclassical building has a three-level hall with about 500 seats.
Museo Regional de Querétaro
The state's regional museum occupies the former Great Convent of San Francisco in central Santiago de Querétaro, a building dating from the 1540s and 1550s.
Irapuato Cathedral
Irapuato's cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, dates from the 18th century and has a Baroque facade. It served as the seat of the local parish until 2004, when the new Diocese of Irapuato made it a cathedral.
Plazuelas
Near Pénjamo, Plazuelas flourished between AD 450 and 700. Trails lead to Casas Tapadas, a platform crowned by four pyramid bases, a ball court, and rocks carved with spirals and La Maqueta, a low-relief model of Casas Tapadas.
Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas
The Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas stands on Paseo Alcalde, formerly Avenida Alcalde, in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara
At a roundabout fountain in Guadalajara, a bronze statue of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, stands on a large pedestal inscribed with the names of 18 notable citizens.
Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara
Zapopan's Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara is a public park in Jalisco with a busy event calendar that includes open-air film screenings, live concerts and food festivals.
Ixtlán del Rio
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Rincón de Guayabitos
Visitors from Guadalajara and Tepic often head to this Nayarit beach town in the municipality of Compostela. Its shore runs about two kilometers, and the waves tend to be calm.
More drives to San Francisco
- La Manzanilla to San Francisco
- Barra de Navidad to San Francisco
- Tecomán to San Francisco
- San Juan de los Lagos to San Francisco
- Pénjamo to San Francisco
- León to San Francisco
From Pinal de Amoles to other places in Mexico
- Pinal de Amoles to Omitlán
- Pinal de Amoles to Huasca de Ocampo
- Pinal de Amoles to Pacanda
- Pinal de Amoles to Temacapulín
- Pinal de Amoles to Boca de Pascuales
- Pinal de Amoles to La Manzanilla
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Pinal de Amoles to San Francisco?
About 8 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 463 miles.
How far is San Francisco from Pinal de Amoles by car?
About 463 miles (745 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 Pinal de Amoles to San Francisco?
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 Pinal de Amoles to San Francisco?
The U.S. State Department rates Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Pinal de Amoles to San Francisco?
In order: MEX-120, QRO 100, QRO 4, MEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-90, MEX-90D, MEX-110, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-70D, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Pinal de Amoles and San Francisco?
Closest to the road: Statue of Minerva, Guadalajara (statue, mile 306, 0.7 mi from the route); Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (park, mile 309, 0.9 mi from the route); Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 378, 0.5 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.