The Wayro route from Pinos to Ixcateopan is 402 miles (647 km), about 8 h 32 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 402 mi (647 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 32 min |
| Main roads, in order | ZAC 291 → MEX-49 → MEX-57 → MEX-57D → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Zacatecas (Level 4), San Luis Potosí (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Guerrero (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-57D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.1 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.
What the drive from Pinos to Ixcateopan is like
MEX-57 (107 mi) and MEX-55 (63 mi) carry about 42% of the 402 miles. MEX-57D, MEX-55D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-49, MEX-57, MEX-55, MEX-95 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Guerrero. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Pinos to Ixcateopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Zacatecas |
| ZAC 291 | 2–16 | 14 | Zacatecas |
| connecting roads | 16–17 | 1 | Zacatecas |
| MEX-49 | 17–60 | 43 | Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí |
| connecting roads | 60–63 | 3 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57 | 63–170 | 107 | San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro |
| connecting roads | 170–171 | 1 | Querétaro |
| MEX-57D | 171–221 | 50 | Querétaro |
| MEX-55 | 221–262 | 41 | Querétaro, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 262–263 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 263–297 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 297–303 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 303–315 | 12 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 315–316 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 316–341 | 25 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 341–344 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 344–352 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 352–368 | 16 | State of Mexico, Guerrero |
| MEX-95 | 368–372 | 4 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 372–374 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 374–379 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 379–380 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 380–402 | 22 | Guerrero |
- Mile 29 of this route: Zacatecas → San Luis Potosí (state line)
- Mile 111 of this route: San Luis Potosí → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 163 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
- Mile 224 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 365 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Pinos and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Historical centre of San Luis Potosí City (mile 62), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 262), Toluca Cathedral (mile 302), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 364)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Tangamanga (mile 62), El Gogorrón National Park (mile 84), Nevado de Toluca National Park (mile 321), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 364)
- Museums and history: Former hacienda of Chichimequillas (mile 178), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 262), Toluca Cathedral (mile 302)
Parque Tangamanga
Spread over 420 hectares, San Luis Potosí's big urban park has two lakes, wooded areas, sports grounds, a zoo, a swimming area, a theater and the old Tenería hacienda.
Historical centre of San Luis Potosí City
San Luis Potosí's historic center is a zone of historic monuments that INAH has recognized as part of Mexico's national heritage.
El Gogorrón National Park
Straddling San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato near Villa de Reyes, this national park offers rugged rock formations, mountain scenery and thermal springs, with camping, hiking and mountain biking.
Former hacienda of Chichimequillas
Discalced Carmelite friars founded this hacienda around 1690 to shelter travelers on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and to farm. Its two-story stone and lime main house, finished in 1813, wraps around a central courtyard beside a chapel.
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Querétaro's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, pairs the Spaniards' grid of streets with the winding lanes of the old Indigenous quarters. Walk it for Baroque churches and mansions of the 17th and 18th centuries and the city's landmark aqueduct.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.
Toluca Cathedral
Begun in 1867 and finished only in 1978, Toluca's Cathedral of Saint Joseph has a neoclassical facade and a bronze statue of the saint on its dome. It also preserves the 18th-century baroque front of the former San Elzeario church.
Nevado de Toluca National Park
The Nevado de Toluca volcano was declared a flora and fauna protection area in 2013, a protected zone spanning ten municipalities of the State of Mexico, including Toluca, Zinacantepec and Temascaltepec.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
When you get to Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
From Pinos to other places in Mexico
- Pinos to Temacapulín
- Pinos to San Luis Soyatlán
- Pinos to Tócuaro
- Pinos to Bernal
- Pinos to Omitlán
- Pinos to Huasca de Ocampo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Pinos to Ixcateopan?
About 8 h 32 min of driving without stops, over 402 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Pinos by car?
About 402 miles (647 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 Pinos to Ixcateopan?
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 Pinos to Ixcateopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Pinos to Ixcateopan use?
In order: ZAC 291, MEX-49, MEX-57, MEX-57D, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Pinos and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Historical centre of San Luis Potosí City (old town, mile 62, 0.4 mi from the route); Cathedral of Atlacomulco (catholic cathedral, mile 262, 0.4 mi from the route); Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 364, 0.3 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.