Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas is 328 miles (528 km), about 5 h 27 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Guanajuato is the Mexican state that contains Jalpa de Cánovas. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
CacaxtlaXochitecatlExconvent of Santa María MagdalenaTeotihuacanMuseo Arqueológico de ApaxcoTulaTula National ParkEl Cimatario National ParkCerro de las CampanasPueblaJalpa de Cánovas
Route from Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance328 mi (528 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 27 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → GTO 87-0 → GTO 37
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas is like

MEX-M40D (107 mi) and MEX-45D (86 mi) carry about 59% of the 328 miles. MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota). It runs through 6 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Puebla
MEX-150D4–2218Puebla
MEX-M40D22–129107Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-57D129–16435Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D164–21753Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D217–30386Guanajuato
GTO 87-0303–31714Guanajuato
connecting roads317–3192Guanajuato
GTO 37319–3289Guanajuato
  • Mile 27 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 50 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 58 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 70 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 87 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 101 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 130 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 163 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 205 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)

Stops between Puebla and Jalpa de Cánovas

  • Nature and outdoors: Tula National Park (mile 117), El Cimatario National Park (mile 200), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 206)
  • Museums and history: Cacaxtla (mile 17), Xochitecatl (mile 18), Teotihuacan (mile 69), Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco (mile 101), Tula (mile 117)

Cacaxtla

Mile 17 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built on a hill rising above the Tlaxcala-Puebla valley, Cacaxtla is known for its pre-Hispanic murals on the Gran Basamento, a large platform now sheltered under a roof. INAH manages it together with nearby Xochitécatl.

Xochitecatl

Mile 18 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Xochitécatl is a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in the state of Tlaxcala. INAH runs it together with nearby Cacaxtla as a single zone, and the Xochitécatl site museum displays finds from the area.

Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena

Mile 23 · Convent · 2 mi from the route

The former convent of Santa María Magdalena (Exconvento de Santa María Magdalena) is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Dieguino friars, still in use as a Catholic temple of the Archdiocese of Puebla.

Teotihuacan

Mile 69 · 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.

Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco

Mile 101 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in 1985, the Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco sits across from the parish church of San Francisco de Asís and beside the town hall in Apaxco, State of Mexico.

Tula

Mile 117 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Tula National Park

Mile 117 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 200 · National Park of Mexico · 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.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 206 · National Park of Mexico · 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.

More drives to Jalpa de Cánovas

From Puebla to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas?

About 5 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 328 miles.

How far is Jalpa de Cánovas from Puebla by car?

About 328 miles (528 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 Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas?

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 Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Puebla to Jalpa de Cánovas use?

In order: MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, GTO 87-0 and GTO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Puebla and Jalpa de Cánovas?

Closest to the road: Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena (convent, mile 23, 2 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 117, 1 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 117, 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.